Journeys
by lovesbroadway
Summary: A mother and son struggle to reunite with their lost loved ones in the hopes of finally becoming a family again.
1. Prologue

Note: I do not own the Sound of Music or any of the characters or songs associated with the movie. Those are all property of 20th Century Fox.

1st Fanfic - enjoy =)

_The family had just narrowly avoided any confrontations with the Nazis as they hid away behind gravestones in the abbey. But when a single light shone on them, they all couldn't help but quiver with fear, knowing their cover had been blown. _

_Eager to put his family at ease and relieve them from the potential dangers which lie ahead of them, Captain Von Trapp quickly approached the young Nazi soldier, Rolfe. As he did so, Rolfe pulled out a gun from his hip holster and shakily pointed it at the Captain, who froze immediately. Not wanting any harm to come to his family, he instructed them to move away._

"_Maria...children." He signaled for them to make a run for it towards the caretaker's car where they would drive to safety, but as they descended the stairs, more Nazis seemed to appear out of nowhere and a scuffle took place. _

_Whistles blew, shots rang out from the soldiers' pistols, shooting them upward to frighten the family and let them know they had been caught. Marta and Gretl cried out - screaming for the comfort of their parents. Being the eldest of the seven, Liesl and Freidrich tried to keep order with their siblings as their family was chased. Brigitta and Louisa held onto each other while trying to comfort the two youngest girls. And Maria, being the last one out from the behind the gravestones, grabbed onto the closest child, which happened to be Kurt; and she clung onto him for dear life._

_Soldiers ran to apprehend the Captain while others rushed to grab either Maria or any of the children. As the nine Von Trapps attempted to stay together and flee to safety, it looked as if that may never happen..._


	2. Trying to Move On

Maria awoke with a start as she envisioned the last time she had seen her husband. It had been a tumultuous past couple of months. She had considered herself to be the luckiest woman alive when Georg had confessed his love to her and told her he desperately wanted to marry her. Then they spent a glorious six weeks honeymooning in Paris where she got to know the man she loved so dearly inside and out. Yet, when news of the Anschluss reached them, they had rushed back to Austria to be with their children. And even after the news of Georg's forced commission into the naval forces of the Third Reich, Maria knew the family would be as strong as ever and be together through anything.

But then that fateful night in the abbey happened...

_It was as vivid as ever to her. The Nazis closed in on her and the children. Georg commanded them to run for safety, knowing they wouldn't be pursued if he was to cooperate. But out of the corner of her eye as she ran down the steps, Maria saw her husband racing to keep up firing shots at the soldiers. For a moment it looked like they would be all right and come out of it alive and together, but then everything went black, and when Maria woke up Georg was nowhere to be found and she was all alone...except for one of her children: Kurt. _

_He was holding her in his lap cradling her. And then she remembered - as she rounded the corner a pistol came into view and crashed into the side of her head. She landed with a thud on the ground, barely able to see six figures ahead of her climbing into the car - six out of the seven of her children. Just about to fade into an unconscious slumber, gunshots grew nearer and nearer, but then all she saw was black._

_Were the others safe? Did Georg get out alive or did the Nazis have him? _

_All she knew was that she was without her family. It was just she and Kurt, and she had absolutely no clue how to proceed with anything..._

Snapping back to reality, Maria sat up and stretched. It was three months to the day since the Von Trapp family had been torn apart. It was the third week in January and a fresh blanket of snow had fallen overnight. She couldn't believe how the weeks had flown by. After regaining consciousness in the abbey, Kurt had helped her cautiously through the halls till they were graciously welcomed by the Mother Abbess. Not entirely remembering the events of the night, Kurt filled the Reverend Mother in on how he and Maria got separated and had no idea where their family or the Nazis were. She replied that the caretaker's car was gone, and therefore assumed the entire family had made it to safety.

Maria and Kurt were welcomed to stay within the confines of the abbey as long as they wanted, but the Mother Abbess suggested moving along quickly. They had stayed there exactly two weeks before they realized it was safe to move on. For four days they traveled by foot, car, and train until they crossed the border into Switzerland. They came upon a small town called Davos and began to search for a place to stay. However, having no money or possessions, their options soon became very bleak, until they came to an inn where they negotiated to work for free in exchange for a single room above the pub. Maria was to wait tables and clean the rooms for new guests, while Kurt was required to help out in the kitchen and do any sort of odd jobs that were needed.

Realizing they would be late for morning chores, Maria turned to her side and tried to rouse Kurt from the double bed they shared. Their room was decently sized, and contained a bed, set of drawers, a small table and chair, and a sink. However, the greatest feature was the window seat and picture window which overlooked the main street on which the inn was located.

Trying a second time Maria resorted to tickling Kurt and blowing raspberries on his cheeks.

"All right! All right - I'm awake! You can cut it out now."

"Up and at 'em sleepy head. Time to get up and get to work." And so began the morning ritual that Maria and Kurt had gotten down so well. Every day she would get up early pondering how they got to where they were and sit for a few moments before waking her son. When they were both finally up and dressed they would go downstairs together to begin their day, which started promptly at 6:30 every morning.

As they descended the last stair to the dining room, they were greeted by the owners of the inn, Anita and Klaus. The couple was a husband and wife pair who owned and maintained the property, both being in their late forties. Never having any children of their own, they were more than happy to allow Maria and Kurt to stay with them, taking them under their wing. It was apparent they needed help and nourishment, and Anita and Klaus were ecstatic to have some help around the holidays and solely for the company.

Anita saw Maria and Kurt first and offered her daily greeting to them, "Morning you two, breakfast is on the table in the kitchen. Help yourselves then off to work."

"Morning Anita, thank you." Was the joint reply of Maria and Kurt. They fell into a methodical rhythm over the past few months, never really having any time to feel any remorse or pain of what happened that night in the abbey. The truth was they were afraid for their lives every minute of every day. They had no idea if Nazis were lurking around the corners searching for them or even if their family made it out alive. What was worse-they had not the slightest notion if the other seven were even together.

Being her chipper self, Maria always tried to keep Kurt's spirits up by talking to him constantly and showing him more affection than ever before. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what was to happen, and that scared the living day out of her.

The duo sat down and helped themselves to the plates of eggs, toast with jam, and fruit.

"I think today I'll get to fixing all the wobbly bar stools in the dining room. A man almost fell off one last night." As of late Kurt tried to fill the awkward silences with conversations about work around the inn.

"Oh, that seems like a nice project for the day. Make sure to ask Klaus for any help you might need."

"Oh I will, mother, but he has a lot of more important things on his mind than worrying about some silly chairs. What will you do today?"

"Well Anita will be going to the market to do some shopping. I don't really feel like going out in the freezing cold so I think I'll be busying myself with the wash."

And this was how their day began. Instead of talk of frivolous days of picnicking and singing as they had done in Austria, Maria and Kurt moved like zombies doing chores and tasks around the inn. For lack of a better reason, they simply had to stay occupied for fear of growing into a deep depression. It had been like this since before Christmas, and it killed Maria to see her son losing so much of his spirit and fire he once had.

As she took the final sip of her tea and Kurt began clearing away the breakfast plates, she hurriedly offered up a silent prayer, wishing for any sign of guidance to help her and her son get through this most trying time in their lives. She couldn't help but feel nervous and scared as she carefully stood up from the table, trying to avoid knocking into anything with her slightly bulging belly...how she desperately wished Georg was with her right now.

*Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? *


	3. I'll Sing Once More

The noise of the crowded pub at the inn drowned out Maria's voice as she tried to understand what her table was asking for. She didn't know if it was the fact that the room was filled with people that was making her hotter than anything, or if it was the pregnancy. Since realizing she was carrying Georg's baby, she had been determined to go on with her life normally. Yet, she was beginning to understand that she may have to ask for help and occasionally take a break now and again. However, tonight being as busy as it was, she didn't know if that was going to be possible.

Kurt, having been transformed from a shy and awkward eleven-year-old to all around do-it-yourself handy man, was now behind the bar helping tend to the growing demand of beer and shots of liquor. Even though he was barely a teenager, he was keeping up with great ease and found himself taking a minute to scan the room for his mother. Ever since he knew about the baby, his instincts had grown tenfold and knew he was responsible for Maria; he was the man of the family now after all.

"Hey young man, how about another double, huh?" Kurt was so busy keeping an eye on his mother that he didn't even hear the man in front of him order another drink.

"Hey, excuse me...hello? HEY BARTENDER!"

"Oh I'm so sorry, sir. Let me freshen up your drink for you." Ever the gentleman, Kurt made it a point to never grow antagonistic towards the customers even in an atmosphere like this where it was easy to become annoyed.

As he was pouring another few shots of whiskey, he began to see a fight breaking out over in the corner. Finishing pouring the man's drink, he scooted under the bartop and out to the tables to try and restore order. Klaus, ever thankful for Kurt's sense of self motivation, smiled to himself as he cleared off a few glasses.

"Excuse sirs, what seems to be the problem here?" Again, polite as ever, Kurt was sure he could settle the problem and make sure a brawl didn't cause a scene.

"Hey kid, do yourself a favor and go tuck yourself into bed, will ya?" The first gentleman shoved Kurt out of the way and resumed yelling at the second.

"I'm sorry sir, but if you continue to do that you're going to have to leave. No fighting in this bar."

"Why don't you shut the hell up and go back to playing with your toys."

Kurt tried to act tall and grown-up, but both gentlemen towered over him by a solid two and a half feet. Maria happened to be at a table near by and came over seeing if she could lend a hand.

"And what seems to be the matter here? hhmm? How about I get you two men some drinks from the bar and we can forget about this whole thing?

"Why don't you put that tray down, gorgeous, and come sit on my lap and give me a kiss?" The second man from the argument grabbed Maria by the wrist and started to pull her toward him. Kurt sprang into defense mode and immediately pulled his mother back away from the clearly drunk duo and gently pushed her out of the way into the arms of a waiting Klaus who was now on the open side of the bar.

"Touch her again like that and you will be very sorry you ever came into this pub, got me?

"Yeah I got you, but do you get me on this, kid?" And the drunken idiot slammed his fist into Kurt's cheek, sending him into the arms of another patron at a nearby table.

"Kurt! Oh my goodness!" Maria attempted to head back over, but Anita appeared and held her back as Klaus ran across the room and grabbed both gentlemen by their collars and helped them toward the door. A few other customers who witnessed made a path and one even held the door open for Klaus as he literally threw the two out of his pub for good.

The man whose lap Kurt had fallen into, gently raised him off and made sure he was okay, before going back to his conversation.

Kurt could almost open his eye all the way, it was clearly swollen. But the crowd was now a little rowdy, having no bartenders pouring alcohol, and no waitress taking orders. Being a bit dazed, Kurt stumbled back toward the bar ready to get back to work, but was tripped and sent into the corner where he happened to land on the piano stool by the steps to the rooms of the inn.

One of the rowdy men shouted for Kurt to entertain them by playing the piano. "Hey fella, how about a song? Play something we can drink to. HA!" And he turned and laughed to his equally inebriated group of friends.

Maria rushed over to her son to see if he was alright. "Kurt are you okay? Let me look at your eye."

"It's fine, mother. Really." But he turned as his mother took his face in her hands examining him.

Just as she was about to pronounce him fine, a bottle came sailing over her head and she had to duck for cover.

"Hey lady, you both gonna sing for us or what? We have a lot of beer bottles we can send your way you know!"

By now Anita had stepped behind the bar in her husband's absence and was doing a poor job of keeping order, however valiant her efforts were. Klaus must have still been outside with the unruly two who tried to start a fight in his establishment. And now it seemed like chaos was about to break out any minute.

Just as she was about to open her mouth and retaliate to the men shouting at her, Maria heard Kurt begin to play the piano. He was slow at first, but once he gained his bearings, he started to play a quick paced tempo she recognized. So she started to sing hoping it would restore order to the crowd:

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd

Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo

Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd

Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Folks in a town that was quite remote heard

Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo

Lusty and clear from the goatherd's throat heard

Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Hearing the beautiful sound of his mother singing, Kurt joined in. It had been months since either of them had had the courage or desire to sing again,

O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay

O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay

A prince on the bridge of a castle moat heard

Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo

Men on a road with a load to tote heard

Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Odl lay hee hee (odl lay hee hee)

Odl lay ee . . .

One little girl in a pale pink coat heard

Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hoo hoo

She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd

Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard

Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hmm hmm

What a duet for a girl and goatherd

Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Kurt noticed the people had stopped arguing and yelling and had their attention glued to him and Maria. Even with one good eye and the other almost swollen shut, he could tell their singing was working. He caught Maria's eye and smiled at her, she smiled back and sang a bit more confidently as they finished the song.

Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Odl lay ee, old lay ee

Odl lay hee hee, odl lay ee

Odl lay odl lay, odl lay odl lee, odl lay odl lee

Odl lay odl lay odl lay

HOO!

Great applause broke out and the duo even received a standing ovation. By now Klaus had come back in and was staring from the front door with mouth agape. He walked over to the bar to relieve Anita and couldn't believe the magnificent sound of Maria and Kurt's voices.

Kurt looked at his mother and she motioned for him to keep playing. She knew Georg wouldn't approve of their singing in public, let alone intentionally entertaining a crowd, but she truly couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed herself over the past few months. Kurt couldn't stop smiling at his mother. His heart warmed seeing her smile again and being able to sing. He knew how much she loved to do so, especially back home with all seven Von Trapp children.

Noting how the crowd had quieted and settled down, Kurt chose a slower song and he and Maria treated everyone to their rendition of Edleweiss. Everybody sat mesmerized as he and Maria belted out the notes.

As they stood at the piano singing and playing their hearts out, Klaus and Anita stood at the bar intently watching.

"Well, enough waitressing for her, from now we know how to use Maria to silence our rowdy bunch of drunken idiots." He joked.

"Come now, dear, you know we shouldn't work her as it is with her pregnant condition."

"Oh I know, darling, but look at how everybody has literally stopped what they are doing to hear her sing. And Kurt - what a master he as at the piano. You would never have thought, the boy is so quiet!"

The husband and wife stood closer together as they sweetly looked on. Perhaps Maria and Kurt were finally coming out of their shells. It did them good to be happy, he thought, and he was glad they were willing to share such wondrous music with them.


	4. Storm

After the response from Maria and Kurt singing that one night, Klaus decided to have them perform for the final hour at the end of every Saturday night as a way of closing the bar. When the rest of the town heard of the talent he had there, however, he had to quickly alter Maria and Kurt's performance schedule because the number of people showing up to hear them sing ended up keeping the bar open even later. As a result, Klaus and Anita offered an hour per evening towards the end of the night to Maria and Kurt if they wouldn't mind singing for the customers. In return, they would pay the Von Trapps a small percentage of that night's earnings for their extraordinary voices. At first, Maria refused the money saying their generosity thus far was enough, but Kurt politely pointed out that some money could go towards material for new clothes, as their few outfits were beginning to wear.

So the weeks turned into over a month and soon it was the end of February. Maria's stomach was beginning to take a more obvious rounded shape, but she insisted on keeping her work schedule as is. With the little money she and her son were earning from their singing exploits, she was able to make some beautiful new dresses for herself, and a few new outfits for Kurt, who was growing at a steady pace. Even though life seemed to be calming down for them, Maria and Kurt knew they couldn't stay with Klaus and Anita forever. They both agreed that once the spring thaw arrived, they would move on. With the winter in Switzerland that year, it was impossible to do any traveling, but once warmer weather came, Kurt was determined to begin to search for the rest of the family. He knew how much his mother missed his father and he was constantly wondering about his brother and sisters. With a baby on the way, he was over cautious on how he and Maria would be able to move through Europe in the hopes of being reunited with the rest of the Von Trapps. Little did he know, however, life would once again throw Maria and Kurt another torturous curveball, but this time it would be fatal.

The snow had begun to melt and a freezing rainstorm hit Davos one cold, Sunday evening. Klaus, Anita, Kurt, and Maria were all gathered in the pub awaiting to see if any customers would venture out in the weather. It was drawing close to dinner time and they hadn't seen a single soul since the day before. The howling wind and harsh pellets of freezing rain proved to be enough intimidation for anyone even considering leaving their homes. At six o'clock, Anita went and locked the front door realizing they wouldn't be seeing anyone else till the morning at least.

She and Klaus moved to their room to retire, as did Maria and Kurt. Yet, when Maria stood up to move upstairs, she felt a blinding pain in the center of her abdomen. She quickly sat back down trying to calm herself.

"Ssshhh, baby. Mommy's tired and wants to go rest now, let's settle down." She had started talking to her unborn child, wanting it to get accustomed to the sound of her voice; she even sang to it at night before she fell asleep. Lately she had been feeling some perpetual discomfort towards the end of the day, but tonight she knew something was wrong.

"Kurt, I don't think I can stand up - it hurts too much."

"How about I try to help you upstairs and we'll go at a slow pace that's good for you?" Kurt's face grew serious as he too realized something was wrong. By now Klaus and Anita had reached the staircase and saw their friends weren't with them. Anita turned back to see what was the matter.

"Maria, my dear, is everything all right? You look a little pale."

"I'm not sure, Anita. The baby seems upset and I get a blinding pain in my stomach when I stand up."

She tried to gain balance again, this time with Kurt holding her up for support, but as she steadied herself a great rumble of thunder could be heard outside and Maria collapsed in her son's arms, leaving a pool of blood underneath her.

Anita sprang into action: "Klaus! - get the doctor on the phone immediately!"

Klaus sprinted into the office upon hearing his wife's urgent cries. Anita looked back at Maria, but Kurt had already lifted her up and was now carrying her in his arms towards the stairs. Still an adolescent, he had grown strong since living at the inn, and silently he was praising Klaus for all the lifting he'd been doing for various odd jobs.

Finally, he made it to his room and gently laid Maria down on the bed. Knowing the doctor would have to examine her when he arrived, Kurt took off his mother's shoes and stockings and wrapped her in blankets, hoping the warmth would do something for her condition. He raced to the sink and wet a rag and went back to press it against Maria's already sweating face. She was just beginning to stir as Anita and Klaus came barreling in.

"The doctor said he'd be here as soon as he could, but he's coming from across town, and with the storm, he said there's no way to estimate when he'd get to us. But he told me to make her comfortable and not let her move." Anita stood trembling as she watched Kurt take care of his mother. She and Klaus had never had any children, but she was pregnant once right after they married, but they ended up losing the baby due to an infection just weeks before she was due. The miscarriage scarred her for life and any other chances of having children were cast aside.

Maria writhed with pain as she tried to sit up, but Kurt gingerly forced her back to the pillows. Tears formed in her eyes and she stared into her son's, pleading for the release of the pain. Oh how she wished Georg was there at that very moment.

And as if he was reading his mother's mind, Kurt spoke, "I know, I wish he was here too. Please tell me what I can do to make it hurt less...I need you to stay strong, you're so strong. Don't leave me." By now he was sobbing and trembling a bit. Maria reached for his hand and grasped it tightly, hoping the connection would somehow ease her pain.

It seemed like a thousand thoughts were racing through his mind. Kurt had already lost one mother, he didn't think he had the strength to go through that all over again...

* It was terribly hard for me to write these next few chapters. I hope you all will read and understand that I've written them based on how I've already planned out the story's ending. Don't hate, just review =) *


	5. Pains and Tears

It took Dr. Acklin exactly twenty-one minutes to drive across town in the freezing rain storm. Under normal circumstances, it was a decent half-hour ride by car, considering the circumstances of the weather, he thought he made pretty good time.

He killed the motor, grabbed his medical kit, and bolted for the front door, but when he got there he found it locked, so he pounded on it as hard as he could while he froze. Moments later, a woman, Anita he assumed from the call made by a man named Klaus, answered and hurriedly ushered him in. She led him through the dining room and up the stairs to the room at the end of the hall. When he walked in the room, Acklin's face dropped seeing the woman lying in the bed and the state in which he found her.

He approached Kurt, "What happened my boy? How long she been like this?"

"Doctor her name is Maria, she's my mother - she's with child."

"What's your name, son?"

"It's Kurt, sir. Please, I can't lose her, I don't have anything else left." Kurt's sobs had gotten under control by now, but tears were still cascading down his cheeks every so often. He looked at Dr. Acklin with sheer desperation and moved over so he could look at his mother.

"Hello Maria. My name is Dr. Acklin. Let me have a look to see how I may help."

"Please, doctor, please, I'm so frightened." Maria pleaded with him, she couldn't lose this baby, she just couldn't. Didn't he know it was Georg's baby in there? This was _their_ child and she would fight as hard as she could for him or her.

By now, other guests at the inn had come out of their rooms at the racket they heard at the end of the hall. Klaus took this as his cue to leave and be productive. He ushered everyone back to their rooms and went down to the kitchen to make some coffee to warm everyone up.

Acklin reached over and gently lifted up Maria's skirts, when he saw the fresh blood seeping out of her and closed his eyes and silently swore under his breath. She had miscarried and lost the baby.

He looked over at Anita who was standing helplessly in the wings. "You there, go and fetch me plenty of towels and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, I need to sterilize my instruments. And bring back plenty of water for Frau Maria here please. Go at once!"

Anita dashed down the hall, leaving Acklin with Maria and Kurt. Maria was slowly regaining color back in her face, but one look at the doctor told her everything. The doctor opened his bag and put on a pair of surgical gloves. He hadn't performed a procedure like this in a long time, and it broke his heart to do this to the woman lying in front of him.

"Son, you may want to leave the room, this is the part that isn't very pretty at all. I've seen grown men faint watching what I'm about to do."

Kurt hesitated for a moment, but was drawn back to the bed by Maria. Her cries of agony made him understand that she couldn't be alone with the doctor. She needed him, and he wasn't going to leave her alone when she had nobody else. He cradled her and closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to watch the doctor. Anita came back into the room with what Acklin had requested. He sterilized his tools swiftly then turned back to his patient. Maria cried out and Kurt braced both of them as the doctor went to work.

Dr. Acklin quietly descended the stairs to the dining room where Kurt, Klaus and Anita were waiting for him. He had made everyone clear the room so he could clean up Maria properly. After, he gave her a few shots of morphine to ease her pain and left some medication in Kurt's hands to administer when she woke up again.

Kurt, shook the doctor's hands and graciously thanked him for saving his mother. On the inside, he was heart broken knowing he'd have to tell Maria again in the morning she had lost her first child. At his age, he never thought he'd have to deliver that kind of news.

Klaus and Anita showed the doctor out as Kurt went back up to his room. He opened the door and closed it in one quiet, swift motion. He kicked off his shoes as he climbed into the bed. He couldn't believe how his life had changed again with the blink of an eye. His mother was perfectly healthy hours before the storm. Now she lay before him, looking as helpless as he'd ever seen her. In the months he had known her, he had never seen her show any weakness. Now it was up to him to care for her, nourish her back to health. He hoped he was up for the task. He had to be. Maria was counting on him and he knew that if his father had been there he would have known all the right things to do. In his absence Kurt reminded himself he was now the head of the Von Trapp family. He wouldn't let his mother down.

As he turned off the lamp by the bedside, tears formed in his eyes again. Maria was breathing evenly, but there was pain on her face, even as she slept. Kurt promised himself that from now on he would be the model of an adult. He realized that he wasn't a child anymore. He had grown up in the matter of a few hours.

* I know you all are probably hating me for this chapter, but please stick with the story. It gets even more intense after this chapter. Love the reviews so far - please keep them coming *


	6. Healing

Spring arrived, but Maria and Kurt still remained at the inn with Klaus and Anita. Business had come to a staggering halt after their patrons discovered Maria wouldn't be singing regularly anymore. After her miscarriage she laid in bed for nearly a month before she had regained enough of her strength to be moving about. Kurt had done his best to nurse her back to health. He spoon fed her every single one of her meals. He helped clean her each day and was gentle with her when it came time to get her up from bed. At night before he shut his eyes to sleep, he'd sing to her, trying assuage her in any way he could. No matter the effort, nothing seemed to bring the Maria he knew back to life. Even after she became mobile again, Maria seldom smiled. She had been given the gift of carrying life inside her, and she had lost her child. What was she to tell Georg? She began to dream about being reunited with her husband, but in the dream he would realize what had happened and all of a sudden vanish, leaving Maria there crying. At that point in the dream she would usually bolt awake sobbing hysterically, waking Kurt. By now, he had grown accustomed to holding her in his arms and smoothing out her hair as he rocked them both back to sleep. He just hoped he would be able to hear her laugh again.

March turned into April and with warmer weather came fewer and fewer customers. Klaus and Anita had been getting telegrams from a cousin of theirs to take some time off and go for a visit. So they announced they would be closing the inn for several weeks. Maria and Kurt took this as the motivation they needed to continue on with their journey to finding the rest of their family. In a day's time, they had planned out a route to take them that would keep them heading westward for the coast of France. They gathered their clothes and little possessions they had acquired over the past months and bid farewell to Klaus and Anita. Davos had been kind to them during their stay, but they had also lost a part of themselves there, so they weren't entirely saddened to leave it behind them.

Moving west towards their destination seemed like it would be an easy journey. Pooling the little amount of money they had between the two of them, Maria and Kurt were able to take a train for the majority of their first leg. They agreed they'd continue on nonstop till they reached Interlaken, which was almost in the direct center of Switzerland. Once they arrived there, they could make camp along the river there and regain their strength and rest up in the refreshing spring weather. Not having a deadline for when they needed to be in France, the duo decided a nice leisurely pace was acceptable.

In the weeks leading up to their wedding, Georg had confided in Maria about his feelings of a potential Nazi takeover and what exactly they'd need to do to ensure the safety of their family. They had both agreed that their only place of safety lied ahead in America. Hoping he had still thought that, Maria steered her and Kurt towards the coast of France to eventually take a ship to America. She knew nothing about the foreign country, but as long as she had Kurt with her, she knew she would be fine. Just to be sure, however, she forced herself and son to learn English on their long train ride to their resting place. She wanted to be able to ask for help once they arrived in America to see if anyone knew anything about the remaining Von Trapps.

When they arrived in Interlaken it was an unusually warm day. Maria realized she'd have to get some more material very soon to make some new summer clothes for herself and Kurt. As they climbed down off the train, Kurt's hand brushed against his mother's and held onto it. Other than their English lessons, the two barely spoke to one another. Suddenly it hit Maria like a bolt of lighting - Kurt was hurting just as much as she was, if not more. Yes, it was she who actually miscarried, but until that moment, she never stopped to think how that fateful night had affected her young son. Recognizing the lack of affection she had shown him as of late, Maria wrapped her arm around her son's shoulders as they went off to find suitable refreshment. Kurt smiled at her in return of her gesture.

They ate a rather modest lunch and realized they'd make better time paddling down the river that ran through Interlaken than hitchhiking. Their money was extremely sparse and both agreed on saving it for food and lodging if necessary. With the weather the way it was, they figured they could camp out under the stars at night. The stormy weather all winter long had kept them cooped up inside too much and Maria was desperate to be out on the mountains again. Kurt was just happy to see a sudden change of mood in his mother.

As they walked along the water's edge by a small wharf they noticed how very few fishermen were out tending to their boats. Going only for a stroll and never really intending on taking a boat just yet, it came as a surprise to Maria when she saw Kurt jump into a little rowboat and begin to cast off.

"Well, are you coming? Hurry up!"

"Kurt, we absolutely cannot just take this boat. It's stealing - it's wrong!"

"Mother, in order for us to get safely where we need to go, we're going to have to take some risks along the way. So you can either come to grips with that fact now or you can stay here and wait and see if we get caught." Then just to solidify his argument he added, "Father would have done it in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you safe."

Maria didn't know if it was that last part that did it or if she truly believed her son, but she jumped in and the two paddled safely down stream.

They had been coasting along for an hour's time, give or take a few minutes, when Maria noticed there was some water in the bottom of the boat. Thinking nothing of it, she continued to paddle, realizing it was probably there from the last time the boat was used. But as she made further inspection of the bow of the boat, she concluded they were taking on water. She turned around to check on the stern section where Kurt was navigating to see if there was water there too. Sure enough, they had begun to take on a solid three inches of water and it was rising.

"Kurt, I think I know now why nobody put up a fuss when we took this boat...it's leaking."

"What are you talking about, mother it's perfectly..." Kurt stopped in mid-sentence as the water crept up above his shoes. Not wanting to panic and cause a potential capsize, Kurt tried to remain calm, but did he hear rapids approaching? He guided the boat toward the right bank of the river, land being only a few yards away with their reach.

The water was rushing faster as he attempted to get to shore. He motioned for Maria to bring her paddle in and remain calm. Noting his distance away from land, he took both their bags and flung them out of the boat onto dry land. The stern wavered slightly and Kurt raised his paddle as they got nearer to the bank, using the paddle to steady the boat against the grass.

"Ok, mother I want you to slowly stand up and get out of the boat. Very still, that's good, you're doing great."

Maria made her way to the back of the boat and successfully onto land. She reached out her hand for Kurt to join her. He too made the successful jump, leaving the boat floating with an arm's reach still. They made their way to gather their things, when Maria noticed the map they had been using still sitting on one of the benches in the boat.

"Oh no! The map - hang on Kurt, I'll be right back."

"Mother, don't!" But it was too late, Maria was already safely back in the boat, map in hand ready to jump back to land, the water level now soaking her up to her mid-calves. She turned to steady herself and jump back to land, but the sudden waves from the rapids jostled the boat, flipping it over.

"MOTHER! MOTHER!"

Maria went under and Kurt didn't see her resurface. He ran down the length of the bank as he kept a close eye on the boat, which continued it's trek downstream. Suddenly, he saw Maria's head bob out from under the surface.

"KURT! HELP!" She coughed up some water and hung onto the capsized boat for dear life. Not looking at where he was going, Kurt collided with a small tree as he kept his eyes on the water. He quickly picked himself up continued to run in the direction of the boat. He was just about to dive in when he heard his mother scream and motion to his right. Up ahead where the rapids were really starting to get huge was a waterfall, and Maria was going straight for it.

Before he knew it he was in the water up to his knees ready to dive and swim to his mother. But he was too late - he saw her and the boat go over the falls.

"NNNNOOOO!" Kurt shouted at the top of his lungs and raced back out of the water. This time keeping his eye on his surroundings, he made it to the edge of land where it dropped off to the falls. Quickly surveying the land around him, Kurt made a calculated guess that Maria only fell about eight feet hoping she had survived. Having no other options, he threw himself out over the falls into the calming waters below.

He hit the bottom hard. His lungs burned as he inadvertently opened his mouth underwater, water seeping into his lungs setting them on fire. He kicked as hard as he could to the surface. Once he was bobbing above the water he began to fiercely tred water searching for Maria. He didn't see her. So he took a big breath and went back down below the water. Opening his eyes in the murky below stung, but after several attempts he finally found her. She was still clutching the map.

Kurt grabbed her around her waist and again kicked for air. He gasped as he made it back above water. Not noticing yet if Maria was breathing or not, he swam on his side with his mother in tow towards the embankment. He slithered out on his back and dragged Maria out next. She wasn't breathing. _Think, Kurt, think. Father taught you this a thousand times when you were little playing in the lake out back._ Problem was, however, he couldn't remember if he was supposed to lock his hands and pump his mother's chest first or if he had to give her mouth-to-mouth and then pump. He decided on pumping first - five times just like he remembered his father telling him to do.

1...2...3...4...5. Breathe! He opened his mother's mouth and covered it with his and delivered an enormous breath, not caring what it looked or felt like. Still nothing.

He repeated the procedure again. Pump - 1...2...3...4...5. Breathe! A few more quick breaths, but still nothing. Five more pumps had tears forming in Kurt's eyes. _How on Earth did I land here? Oh God!_ He was pinching her nose and about to breathe one final time when Maria's body shook and she spit out water through her mouth. She rolled over facing her son, coughing up water and taking big, short breaths.

Kurt gave her a minute until he saw her open his eyes then he pulled her into the biggest hug and held onto her for dear life.

"Oh God!" He cried between tears and sobs. "I'm so sorry I left the map, it should have been me, it should have been me! Please forgive me, I'm so glad you're okay."

Maria's cheeks, although wet from the water, now began to moisten from tears running from her eyes. She sat there and let herself be held by her almost teenage son. She offered up another silent prayer to the heavens and dug her hands into Kurt's back.

"Thank you, oh thank you. You've saved me yet again." Maria sat up and kissed Kurt on the forehead and checked to make sure he was unharmed. "You're so brave, what did I do to deserve you?"

"I could be asking myself the same question." The two shared a smile and embraced again.

Kurt broke contact and spoke again. "Now stay here while I climb back up to fetch our bags." Maria moved to protest, but Kurt cut her off and refused to let her move from where she was.

"Don't you even think about it. You want to be helpful, then you can start gathering some wood for a fire. We're gonna need to dry off somehow now, Fraulein." Maria's heart melted at the mention of Kurt's term of endearment. Even though it was what she had been referred to as for months before her marriage, _fraulein_ was Georg's nickname for her. Hearing it again left the smallest twinge of hope that there might actually be a reunion. As she watched Kurt climb back up, she smiled and exhaled when he made it up safely and waved down to her. She had made it through another traumatic ordeal because of her son, God was surely smiling down watching over them at that very moment.

* I told you there'd be a silver lining to all their struggles thus far. Good news, is both Maria and Kurt are safe and still "journey"ing on to find the rest of the family. Review please! =) *


	7. Heartache

_Kurt was just tightening the knot in his tie as his father came over to straighten his son's suit. After giving the final inspection, Georg placed a hand on either of his sons' shoulders._

"_Boys, you look very distinguished and I'm very proud of you. Today is a big day for all of us."_

"_We know, father," Freidrich and Kurt chorused._

"_Now, how do I look? Hhmm? Presentable?" Georg stepped back and did a mock twirl in his naval uniform. As he spun back around, the sheath of his sword knocked into the wall and made the boys laugh out loud at his blunder._

"_You look very distinguished as well, sir." Friedrich stood straighter and went over, pretending to dust off his father's shoulder boards._

"_Yes, extremely regal. You're sure to stop all the ladies in their tracks." Following his brother's lead, Kurt went over and pretended to shine his father's buttons with the sleeve of his suit coat. Georg laughed and drew his boys close to him for a hug._

"_Actually, you two, there's just one lady in particular who I'm focused on today." The trio smiled and exited the room, eagerly anticipating when they'd be a real family again._

Kurt snapped awake at the thought of his dream. He was panting a little, the dream felt so real and he half expected to be back in his villa in Austria with his father and brother getting ready for the wedding. However, he wasn't in Austria. Instead he was in some small, cramped hostel somewhere in Switzerland. He and Maria weren't quite sure of the name of the small village they were currently in - Thun was it? Something like that? All they knew was the board for a room was dirt cheap, meals were included, and they could come and go as they pleased.

Still, Kurt was always on the lookout. Ever since the near-fatal drowning of his mother back outside of Interlaken, Kurt vowed to be vigilant at all times. Why it was only an hour after he had fallen asleep that he was now wide awake. Maria was sound asleep at his side, holding onto his hand as she slumbered. Kurt decided to sit up and keep watch. He had an uneasy feeling about the hostel where they were. The people there were too quiet and very unfriendly. He was nervous someone would try to break into their room and rob them. He hadn't been getting very much sleep as of late.

He had climbed back down the falls the day he saved his mother from drowning and they had made camp for almost an entire week. Luckily, they had discovered delicious berry bushes nearby and Kurt managed to trap a few rabbits they roasted over the fire for dinners. During the days they took walks along the bank of the river, being careful not to wander too far away. But after six days, Maria told her son they needed to keep moving. They could continue camping out as long as they made progress along the way; they needed to cover some ground.

So they lived off the land and slept under the stars with nothing but a few sets of clothes each and their the packs which were used as pillows come night fall. Kurt had taken a deck of playing cards from the inn before they left and Maria was teaching him how to play high-low jack, and he was becoming very good at it. Kurt had also been given a hunting knife upon departure. When Maria was saying goodbye to Anita, Klaus had approached Kurt and said he needed some sort of protection if they were to go out into the world unarmed. Thankfully, there had been no need to use it just yet. He considered breaking it out to try it with the rabbits, but the meat was so tender after being cooked it wasn't even necessary.

Maria and Kurt worked very well together. They collected firewood, started the fire, and hunted for their dinners together. Once again they had fallen into a rhythm together and they both liked it. For nearly an entire month they camped out in the sunny hills of Switzerland. The map Maria fought so dearly to save was still intact, but the colors had bled a great deal and reading it proved to be a daily challenge. So they were navigating using the sun and making sure they were always keeping the Alps on their right as they headed westward.

It was difficult being isolated away from society and both were somewhat relieved when they came upon a worn dirt road one warm afternoon. Having no other option but to follow it, the duo stayed on the road until they saw an old truck driving their way. When it stopped by them the driver was gracious enough to let them ride in the bed as he headed towards the nearest town which happened to be called Thun. Ironically, Thun was at the west edge of the river Maria and Kurt had been following.

The driver let them off at the edge of town and Maria and Kurt surveyed their new temporary living quarters. Thun reminded Maria a bit of Davos, but on a much smaller scale. Within an eye's reach, she could make out a small market, church, and pub all within a block's walk. Kurt saw the town for what it truly was to him and his mother: a resting place on their long journey ahead.

It was the end of May when they made Thun their new place of residence, and it was now beginning to feel like autumn again. The leaves had begun to change color and fall and it was hard to imagine that it was October again. The past week, Maria had grown terribly depressed having celebrated her one year wedding anniversary without her husband. And not having a real place to call home, it was hard to get the space she so desperately wanted without being around Kurt. She knew she couldn't be around him on the day she was supposed to be with Georg. When Kurt woke up he found a note from his mother saying she was taking the day by herself and going up to the hills for some peace and prayer. Maria loved her son dearly, but she needed a day to center her thoughts on her husband alone.

Of course Kurt didn't take it to heart. He had other ways of occupying his time. From the skills he had learned from Klaus, he had gotten the status of town handyman. Whenever something needed to be fixed or moved people came to get Kurt. And with his thirteenth birthday approaching in a month's time, Kurt felt like more of an adult every day. Last year there was no celebration due to obvious reason, and he wasn't expecting anything this year, but he would be a teenager this year. And that meant a lot to him.

Even with all that was happening it was hard to grasp that an entire year was about to pass from the night Kurt and Maria lost everything. Somewhere inside both of them they had each hoped by this time they would be back with their family.

Maria took only a jug of water with her to the hills that day. She sat and cried for the better part of the morning. She felt she needed to weep for her husband, she longed for him so badly. After she dried her tears she allowed herself to lie down in the tall grass on the mountains and rest for a while. When she awoke, she went for a walk then headed back down towards Thun. It was not even close to how she had pictured celebrating her anniversary, but taking a long glance at her wedding band showed that she still had a husband somewhere, and she knew at that very moment he was thinking of her and loving her as she did him.

* Keep those reviews coming - on a roll now as the next few chapters come. Let me know what you think! *


	8. Heavenly Peace

Time flew by as Maria and Kurt attempted to stay focused on their journey, but as colder weather approached again, they deemed it unwise to be moving in the harsh winter conditions. So it was decided they would stay in Thun until after the new year at the earliest. That would mean, however, Maria and Kurt would be celebrating a makeshift Christmas in Switzerland again. Kurt longed for an Austrian Christmas filled with delicious pastries and strudel to feast on with mounds of presents to devour on Christmas morning. Surprisingly, though, from doing his handy work around town Kurt had managed to pocket a substantial amount of money. As a surprise, he decided he would buy her a box of the best Swiss chocolate he could get his hands on and a bottle of sweet smelling perfume. Yes, this year they would celebrate Christmas regardless of where they were.

Maria had a few tricks up her sleeve as well. Like Kurt, she had saved some money as well and was able to purchase some fine silk material from the dress maker in town. She made a magnificent red silk vest for her son and even had money left over to buy material to make a new suit he could wear to mass on Christmas morning. She had picked out a deep green color for the suit pants and matching jacket that would go perfectly with the new vest. She was like a giddy child awaiting for Christmas morn so she could see the look on her son's face as he unwrapped his present.

December 25th came and Maria was the first to awaken. Unlike in Interlaken, their room at the hostel in Thun was extremely tiny with two twin beds. So when she woke up, she crept over to Kurt's bed and sat down kissing him gently on the cheek.

"frohe Weihnachten my son," she whispered as he stirred.

Kurt wearily opened his eyes and smiled up at his mother. "frohe Weihnachten, mother."

Maria hugged her son close, thankful that she even had him on this blessed day of days.

"I think Weihnachtsmann may have left you something over in your stocking." Maria's eyes gleamed as she saw her son sit upright and brighten at the mention of Santa Claus.

"Oh really? Because if he was here then that means you should have been left a little something as well, mother." Kurt's retort caught Maria off guard. She hadn't expected her son to get her anything, but she was warmed at his generosity and compassion for her.

Kurt got up and pulled two small packages out from under his bed and handed them to Maria.

"Ladies first." But Maria had already gotten up to retrieve her presents for Kurt.

"Nuh-uh. You first, I insist. My son should be able to open the first gift of Christmas."

Unable to argue with that, Kurt took the boxes from his mother and slowly, but eagerly unwrapped them. He had chosen the suit first and jumped for joy when he discovered what it was.

"This is gorgeous! Thank you very much!"

"Wait, you're not done yet, there's one more part that goes with it." Maria laughed openly at her son's joy. She watched with her head tilted as he managed to free his vest from its box.

"Wow!" Kurt ran his hand over his new vest in awe and admiration. "Did you...make these for me?"

"Mmmhhhhmmm. I did. frohe Weihnachten, Kurt." Maria said sweetly.

Kurt got up and embraced his mother and thanked her for such wondrous gifts. It truly felt like Christmas. Maria held on to her son, not wanting the tender moment to pass, but Kurt broke apart and handed his gifts over.

"Now these aren't anything special, it's not like I hand-made them or anything," he joked as Maria tore into the box of chocolates.

"Well these will make for a most delicious feast for breakfast, hhm?" Kurt nodded and motioned to the second part of her gift. He had spent almost an hour in the beauty store searching for the right scent. When he left, he had a headache from all the perfumes he tested, but knew he had selected the right one: it smelled like a combination of strawberries and fresh linens. It reminded him of home and he knew his father would have loved it.

Maria took the box from its packaging and turned it around in her hands admiring the lovely pink bottle. She looked over at Kurt.

"Well go on then, try it out."

She gave the top a press and a light mist came out. Maria dabbed at her wrists and inhaled the aroma - she was home. She could picture sitting on the terrace back in Austria soaking in the crisp summer air and actually felt the wind on her face. Tears sprang to her eyes as she came back to reality.

"This is perfect. Thank you very much, Kurt. This means a lot to me... frohe Weihnachten."

"You're welcome, mother. I love you."

Maria allowed herself to sample a half dozen or so chocolates while still in her nightgown and had some help from Kurt as they decided which ones they liked best. Afterwards, they both laid in bed watching the fat snowflakes fall outside. They both fell into a peaceful Christmas snooze and when they woke, they freshened up and dressed and headed to church for Christmas mass. Kurt looked extremely sharp in his new suit and Maria smelt like an angel.

After church, the pastor was holding Christmas dinner for the entire town in the hall and Maria and Kurt happily attended. They hadn't made close friends since being in Thun, but they were friendly with a great number of people, so it was welcoming to sit amongst them and share a meal together. When it came time to say the blessing, Maria took hold of her son's hand and prayed to God with all her heart that Georg, Liesl, Freidrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl were safe and sound on this Christmas day, wherever they were.

* Kind of a pure fluff chapter...wanted to show Maria and Kurt at peace even during their troubled times. But don't be fooled, their struggles haven't come to an end just yet. The reviews have been unbelievable and I love and appreciate all the comments! More reviews are always welcome =) *


	9. Treking Along

Buds were beginning to open on the trees outside of Maria and Kurt's window. Spring had arrived and time was flying by once more. It was going on a year and a half since Maria and Kurt had been on their own. Seeing the change in seasons meant it was time to finally attempt to leave Switzerland for good. As the flowers were getting ready to bloom, the Von Trapps were packing their things up and readying themselves for another trek across the country.

Having acquired a new map, their route was now scheduled to take them from Thun northwest up to Basel and over the Swiss-French border into Belfort. Having been able to save quite a decent amount, Maria and Kurt treated themselves to a train ride to Basel. From there, they figured they could reintroduce themselves to the outdoors and camp the rest of the way into France.

The train ride took them four days and when they finally got to Basel, Kurt desperately needed to stretch his ever growing legs. At thirteen, he was already past Maria's shoulder and growing by the minute it seemed. People found it hard to believe he was just a teenager and often mistook him to be much older.

It was weird being in Basel for a few reasons. To Kurt it felt like being in Thun that very first day again. New surroundings, new people, new feeling. It was also weird because for the first time in a long time, he felt slightly optimistic. The closer he and Maria got toward the Atlantic, the better he felt about his chances on being reunited with the rest of the Von Trapps. He knew his father wouldn't have stayed in Europe if it meant facing danger on a daily basis.

To Maria, being in Basel felt weird also, but for a much different reason than her son's: Nazis. There were dozens of storm troopers milling about from the moment they got off the train. Wasn't Switzerland supposed to be a neutral territory? Suddenly, she was frightened all over again. Were they looking for them? Did they have a clue where Georg and the others were?

As if he was reading her thoughts, Kurt drew close, "Mother, I thought the Nazis weren't supposed to be on Swiss land?"

"I was just thinking the same thing, Kurt. Stay close and try not to look at any of them. Who knows if we're being pursued or if they know who we are."

Maria and Kurt decided to forgo taking any more means of public transportation from here on out. If they could stray away from being in a close vicinity of the Nazis, then they wouldn't be in direct contact with any of them. So they chose a route that had more back roads and less traffic. They had been going a few miles when a car came barreling down the dirt lane past them. It stopped, then reversed and came to a screeching halt beside them.

The car had four German soldiers in it and the driver rolled his window down to address Maria and Kurt.

"I say, you there, where are you going?" Kurt looked at his mother, unsure of whether he was supposed to answer or keep walking. Maria took initiative and replied back to the office in the front seat.

"Just going for a leisurely stroll, sir. Lovely day out isn't it?"

Clearly taken by her charm and beauty the driver flirted with Maria a little and tried to strike up conversation.

"Indeed it is, frau. Mind telling us where you and your friend are going?"

"My son actually. He and I are taking a stroll, as I said. Maybe doing a little camping if the weather holds out, mein herr."

As they were speaking, Kurt stole a glance at the other three soldiers in the car. None of them looked as eager to speak with them as the driver did. His stomach turned and he felt like they should run away. By now, the car was rolling along as it followed Maria and Kurt's walking pace. The driver made it a point to never take his eyes off of Maria.

"Why don't you get in the car and let us drive you for a while, hhmm?"

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary really. We're probably going to be stopping for a rest in a bit anyway. But your kindness is dully noted." Maria gave them a sincere smile of gratitude and the officer gave a warm reply of "you're welcome" and the car sped off.

"Phew, that was close. I thought for a moment there they weren't going to leave us alone." Maria exhaled and turned toward her son as she put her hand on his should and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. "Not much further now till we hit France. I can already taste the delicious crepe suzette...mmmm." She began to salivate a little remembering the heavenly dessert she and Georg shared several times while honeymooning in Paris.

As they finally crossed the border into France only a day later, Maria made sure she and Kurt got themselves to a bistro and ordered the biggest portion of crepe suzette they had available. If she was going to be in France, she was going to enjoy it and she knew Kurt had no problem taking a well deserved break for some scrumptious French cuisine.

*How's everybody enjoying the story thus far? The reviews are a HUGE help and I welcome all of your criticisms =) Not to worry - Kurt and Maria _are _going to make it to America, but you're going to have to keep reading to see what happens once they get there! Reviews pretty please and thank you. *


	10. Fireflies

"Ready? One - two - three...NOW!"

Kurt couldn't remember the last time he felt as free as he did at that very moment. He and his mother had spent the better part of dusk catching as many fireflies as they could manage with a mason jar. And now, hours later in the pitch darkness, they had released them back to the open air, solely to see their magnificent glow.

Kurt gave the countdown and Maria removed the lid as the fireflies hovered for several minutes then dispersed among the trees. They were lying on their backs when the glow from the flies faded. It was another sticky summer evening and neither were wearing any shoes. For the moment, they were both fine with life; life was good.

It was hard to describe it, but Kurt felt comfortable and secure in Belfort. He had felt a sense of security working at the inn in Davos, but here in France he felt...free almost. He and his mother hadn't really done anything productive. Thanks in large part to the work they did in Davos and while they were in Thun, Maria and Kurt had money in their pockets for the first time in almost the two years they'd been on their own. It felt refreshing to be spending their days hiking through the woods and basking in the sun, while still being able to relax under the glow of thousands of fireflies at night.

They were enjoying themselves and camping out as much as possible, but had found shelter in what they deemed as someone's vacation cottage in the middle of a large forest in Belfort. Kurt deduced that nobody would bother them due to the sheets covering the furniture and the large stack of chopped wood behind the cottage. Yes, he thought, this must be someone's winter hideaway. How spectacular it must be to relax here in front of a roaring fire while the snow blankets the ground. He hoped that he and his mother wouldn't be in France come the following winter. That would have marked two full years since he last saw the rest of his family. The next time the seasons changed, Kurt prayed he was on a boat heading for America.

The only downfall of the cottage was the layout. It was entirely open being able to see the kitchen while in bed, and the living room from the bathroom. And there was only one bedroom with one bed. That meant, Kurt and Maria were sharing sleeping quarters again. Not that he minded it of course. He owed his life to this woman. If she hadn't grabbed hold of him that awful night, who knew what could have happened to him. He could have been killed under the bullets of the Nazis. Every chance he got, he thanked the lord for being with her.

He and his mother were only a few yards away from the cottage when they heard thunder rumble in the distance. As they laid there soaking in the gentle night breeze, fat rain drops began to fall. Instinctively, Kurt sat up and reached for his shoes about to head for the cottage.

Maria on the other hand, stood up and extended her arms while she looked up and smiled to the sky, almost welcoming the oncoming storm.

"Are you crazy? Come on, you'll be soaked!"

Still smiling, Maria was unfazed at the sudden change of the weather. "What, you mean to tell me you never danced in the rain and really embraced it?"

"To be honest, no, but that's probably because I enjoy the sensation of being warm and not soaking wet. Now come, you'll get sick!" Kurt was ready to pull his mother back to the house with him, but she had started twirling in the rain and showed no signs of backing down.

"When I was a little girl, my mother always said that when it rained it meant that God was crying. One day I finally asked her what he was crying for, and without any hesitation, she sweetly told me that he was crying because he was so happy that I had turned out to be such a good girl - that for the rest of my life, whenever it rained God was simply telling me he was proud of me and that he loved me." She lowered her arms and looked at Kurt, both of them now completely drenched. "Do you think that's true?"

He had to think for a moment. Never in his life had he thought about things like this. He always figured it rained because that's how the land got watered. It never struck him that it may be a sign from above or something more deeper than just science.

"I think that if your mother said something like that then it must have been true, because if she was even half the woman you are today, then anything she said must have been one-hundred percent true."

Maria smiled with pure love and affection at her son. She picked up her shoes and started to head back to the house, but Kurt stopped her and pulled her close. He was dancing with her, he was dancing with her in the rain. She rested her head against his as he hummed a lullaby he remembered his father singing to him as a child. It was as if the rain storm had made them reborn. Both felt a certain sense of purity being out in the rain, and that night they slept the soundest they had in almost two years.

Kurt got his wish and by late November he and Maria were on a ship headed west across the Atlantic to America. The S.S. Destiny was to dock in New York City just after the new year. The ship was traveling all along the coast going southbound along France, down to Spain, and finally to Portugal where it would make its berth for the states.

Another birthday had come and gone and Kurt was now fourteen. He hadn't liked to make a big deal out of his birthdays the past few years, which was fine for Maria because when hers came she wanted nothing more than a simple birthday greeting the morning of and then to go about her day. Like it or not, they were getting older and time was slipping through their fingers.

Their cabin on the ship wasn't anything special. A sink, set of bunkbeds and a toilet with a small partition in the corner were the only fixtures. Everything else belonged to Maria and Kurt and fit nicely in each of their bags. They still traveled light. Clothes, a now usless map, their money, rolled tightly away in some socks, and a few other superfluous items crowded their packs.

No matter, though. They knew they'd only be staying in their cabin come bed time. For now, their goal was to explore the ship and try to make friends.

Truth was, they were no better off in America than they were in Europe. They didn't know a single soul there and had no idea for the potential dangers and struggles that may await them. Yet, Maria and Kurt remained optimistic about their newest change in life. Going to America was just another journey in their lives, and they were ready for it.

* I needed a tender chapter between Maria and Kurt to show some vulnerability...next chapter they begin their cross-Atlantic journey to America! Please keep the awesome reviews coming to see if they make it there safely *


	11. Beneath the Night Sky

There's a term many people fall under when traveling at sea: cabin fever. It usually happens after an extended period of time being isolated or physically trapped with nowhere to go; not having any free room in which to roam. Unfortunately, Maria had cabin fever. She was so used to having the glorious mountains in Austria where she could escape to whenever she felt lonely or in despair. Now, traveling further and further away from her beloved mountains felt like she was losing a piece of her soul. Maria began to understand that this move to America was permanent and that she most likely would never see Austria ever again. During the first few nights, she found herself sneaking above deck to catch glimpses of the Alps as they were illuminated by the moon and stars. But over a month out on their cross-Atlantic voyage, Maria could no longer see anything that reminded her of home. Until her honeymoon she had never even been out of Austria. Then she and Kurt spent countless days and nights crossing the European continent, taking her to places she'd never dreamt of seeing. And now she was on a ship taking her to an unknown nation where everything would be different. Different languages, different smells, different scenery. Did they even have mountains in America?

One particular night she found herself unable to fall asleep so she quietly crept down the short ladder of her bunk and attempted to sneak out for one of her usual nightly strolls. When they first boarded the S.S. Destiny, Kurt had insisted that he take the bottom bunk on the slightest off chance anybody tried to force entry into their cabin, which would have put him at the first line of defense. He argued with his mother that she would be safer on the top bunk out of any potential intruder's grasp.

So now when she gently stepped down onto the floor, it was only instinctual that Kurt awoke with a start thinking someone had broken into their room.

"Ssshh...back to sleep. I'm only going for a walk - can't sleep. I'll be back soon." Maria tucked her son back in - he was dreaming soundly within a few minutes.

Once she was out in the fresh air, she shivered at the sudden change in temperature. It was very welcoming and toasty below beck. Out in the open winter air with the wind at her face, Maria was glad she grabbed an extra sweater and the blanket from her bed. It was well past midnight and there wasn't anyone else roaming around the ship except for a few officers. As they passed by, the two sailors tipped their caps at Maria.

She found comfort at last sitting on a bench gazing up at the stars once more. Although a poor replacement, Maria was beginning to find solace star gazing among the night sky as she normally would have done singing on a mountaintop. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone sit down next to her.

"I hope you don't mind a little late night company." Kurt offered her the blanket to his bed, as he could she Maria was obviously shivering even under her layers.

"You really didn't have to follow me up here, you know. I'm perfectly capable of taking a walk alone." She graciously welcomed the added warmth and allowed her son to wrap his arms around her for his own form of heat.

"It's nothing really, mother. Where do you think I've been all those other nights you got up so abruptly while you thought I was sleeping?" There was a slight mischievous twinkle to Kurt's eyes as he said this.

"You mean to tell me you've been following me up here all this time?"

"Well not every single night, but I will admit that the first few I did lag behind unsure if you'd be all right or not by yourself."

"You really are your father's son, you know that? He'd be doing the exact same thing."

Even while holding onto his mother, Kurt straightened at the compliment. It had been a while since he and Maria had spoken of Georg and as she had done so in such a positive way, made him miss his father once more.

"Do you think he'd be proud of us the way we've handled things so far? I think about him all the time and wonder if he's concerned that it's me you're with."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh you know, how it's me...how I'm not him...how I'm not Freidrich..." Kurt stopped short at his last statement not entirely sure how to verbalize what he was really trying to say.

Maria, however, knew exactly what he was trying to say to her.

"I know that if your father were with us all this time he'd be the proudest of you that he ever thought possible. I think about him constantly. When I'm awake, when I'm asleep. And not a day has gone by the past few years where I haven't thanked God mercifully that it's you I'm with." With tears in his eyes, Kurt looked down at his mother, hearing the nicest thing anybody had ever said to him.

"I know you must think that because you're the youngest Von Trapp male in the family that makes you the least adequate, but I can assure you that I have never been more grateful or happy to have had you at my side all this time. Give yourself some credit, it was you after all who saved me not once, but twice. If it hadn't been for you I would never have gotten over that horrible miscarriage and I certainly wouldn't have ever gotten out of that river safely."

"Thank you," was all Kurt could say quietly. "I had no idea I was that important."

By now Maria had wrapped the second blanket over the both of them and had her arms wrapped around her son. She was always glad for Kurt's eagerness to be the protector, but she kept reminding herself that he was only a teenager and needed to be reminded as such every once in a while.

"I was honest with you now I want you to be honest with me...have I been a good mother? I look around this ship constantly and see happy children running around with their families and feel so guilty that we're missing the rest of ours. I know it's not my fault that we got split up that night, but I can't help but feel responsible for the way things turned out...you've already gone through so much and I can't bear to put you through anything more."

Maria was sobbing as she held onto Kurt, for fear of breaking down completely. She needed to hold onto him to steady herself. She had been holding all of these emotions for so long, wanting to be brave for her son. Now, she felt like she couldn't keep them bottled up any longer.

Kurt broke free from his mother's embrace and took her face in his hands.

"You say that you're lucky to have me all this time, well I think it's me who's the lucky one...you don't give yourself enough credit here, mother. Because of you I have everything. Don't you remember how everything was before you came into my life? If you and father had never married, then we would have probably lost him to the Nazis by now and the seven of us would have been parentless. Instead, I'm with you and I know in my heart the others are with father. He's too strong to let them be taken from him. And I know that because of you, you and I will find them in America. We've made it over two years together, what's a little more waiting when it comes to family?"

Maria wrapped Kurt in a monstrous hug underneath the blankets. Both shivering uncontrollably, both sobbing like babies, both ever so thankful for the other. Maria looked up at her son and smiled. Kurt looked at his mother and smiled.

"As I said, you really are your father's son. The way you've just spoken shows how alike you two are, it's a shame it's taken me until now to truly notice that...he'd be very proud of you."

"You too, you know? The morning of your wedding when he, Freidrich, and I were getting dressed, he said that no matter what, he'd never be able to stop loving you. Not to sound mushy or sentimental or anything, but I know he meant it. Wherever he is, I know he has you on his mind."

"You're so sweet, I can't believe how much you're growing up. I still think of you as the little shy eleven year old back home, where did he go? Hhmm?"

"He's still back home, I'm afraid. You're just gonna have to get used to me now." Kurt gave his mother a hopeful expression as she tightened the grip on her son.

"If this is how it's going to be from here on out, I think I'll be able to live with that. Come on, let's get back down to some heat. My feet are frozen."

* Next chapter they get to America! The comments have been great - please keep them coming! *


	12. Ellis Island

They all saw her through the mist before they actually saw land: Lady Liberty. The thousands aboard the S.S. Destiny had heard tales from others about the moment when you first saw her. It was supposed to be some sort of religious experience where the heavens opened up and God himself shined down upon the peoples entering America. Kurt Von Trapp didn't have such an epiphany. Seeing the Statue of Liberty in the fog felt like a dream. She was still miles away, but Kurt felt he could almost reach out and grab her she looked so tiny in the distance. Maria Von Trapp, however, couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful beacon. She was mesmerized by her beauty and what she symbolized. What's more, though, she was given new hope feeling that Georg and her children had stood before Lady Liberty as she was now.

Maria and Kurt had decided that on the morning of January 7th, the day they were to dock in New York Harbor in America, that they'd be the first ones off the ship. They didn't realize that the ship would be unloaded according to class, however. Themselves holding only third class tickets, soon realized they'd be the last ones off. Yet, that didn't stop them staking out a spot right next to the gangplank, on the ready for when it was their time to step onto American soil. They stood fixated for what seemed like days as they watched the first and second class passengers unload their valuables and cross into Ellis Island. As they waited patiently, Maria quizzed them on some basic English terms and phrases they knew were to come up once they met with the immigration officials. Their packs were fastened on their shoulders, and Kurt was determined to not be separated from his mother, so he held onto her hand for dear life until they got off the ship.

"I can't believe we made it here. This feels so surreal."

"I know, Kurt. I just pray we're not waiting in line for too long. I overheard the lady next to me saying how it can take days to gain visas and be claimed new citizens. I don't know if I can hold out that long."

"Have faith mother, God will guide us where we're needed. Just don't let go of my hand whatever you do." Kurt was petrified of this new land. Although he didn't dare show it on the outside, underneath his adult facade, he was trembling with fear.

Maria and Kurt's premonitions were confirmed: it took them just over twelve hours to see the slightest progress in the lines. Once they were safely inside the large room where everyone was gathering, they saw that they'd ultimately be separated. Men were ushered to one side of the room to be inspected and given physicals by a male doctor, the same happened to the women on the other.

As they throngs of people entered the Registry Room, Maria's hand slipped out of Kurt's.

"Kurt!"

"Mother!" Was Kurt's vain response to stay with Maria. He grabbed at the air as he saw his mother being taken further and further away from him. His heart was racing and he found it hard to breathe suddenly. In a flash, he lost her - his eyes fiercely scanning the large open space for her figure. He realized he was now among other scared male individuals. Men torn apart from their wives, sons snatched from the hands of their mothers. Brothers longing for their sisters. Kurt had no choice but to move along, but he kept glancing back just to see if he could make out where his mother had gone yearning to reunite with her once his physical was complete.

The doctor drew back the curtain as Kurt sat on the examining table.

"Ok son, take off your shirt and shoes. If everything check's out, you're free to get back in line."

"Please, doctor, I just was separated from my mother, I have to get back to her. She's all alone."

The doctor seemed unmoved by his patient's desperate cries. Seeing this happen every day, he was unfazed by any signs of emotion. His job was to weed out the sick ones from the healthy ones. He didn't care who was separated as long as they weren't infectious.

"Not to worry my boy, as soon as you both are cleared from your examinations you'll be reunited back out in line before you meet with the officials in the Registry Room." The doctor's attempt at assuaging Kurt seemed to work while he raked his fingers through his hair, searching for any signs of lice. Then he listened to Kurt's heart beats to see if they were coming in regular rhythms. And finally he checked to see if he had any warning symptoms some of the common conditions immigrants tended to bring with them off the ships: dysentery, anemia, whooping cough.

"Ok kid, you're fine. When you get to the front of the line, give this ticket to the officer and you'll be able to get your paper work to get you through." He ripped off a piece of paper from his pad and Kurt hurriedly accepted it as he put on his clothes and rushed back out to find his mother.

Again, seeing no sign of her, Kurt stood at a crossroads, literally. He could either stand and hope she would emerge or get in, yet, another line. He didn't know where this one would take him. There were dozens of official looking men in blue uniforms standing around, but not seeming to be giving any real direction. Kurt decided to approach one and ask for help.

He mustered up all of his confidence, hoping the words about to come out of his mouth sounded like real English. _He goes nothing_, he though to himself.

"Excuse me sir, I've been cleared by the doctor and don't know where to go. I got separated from my mother, what should I do?"

The mustached man in front of Kurt gave him a once-over before responding.

"Got cleared by the doc you say, kid?" Kurt nodded back.

"Well then hop to it, get in line. Lotta people came off your ship and thousands more coming off more later today. Could be waiting for a while, you want to be an American citizen, don't ya?"

"Yes sir, of course. But what do I do about my mother?"

"Just get in line. The women come out that way, you'll she your ma when she exits." The guard pointed over his right shoulder.

"Uh, thank you the, I guess." Dejected, Kurt went to turn away to get in line when the guard spoke again.

"Where exactly you from, son?"

"Austria, sir."

"Coulda fooled me. You're one of the smarter ones. Not everybody thinks of learning English on the boat ride over, ya know." The guard gave him a slight wink as he walked away.

On top of the time already spent waiting, Kurt was forced to stand for an additional hour as he crawled forward in line. Still no sign of Maria, he grew nervous as he saw other women exit their side of the room to be matched up with their family members. _Where is she? Did something happen?_

It had grown dark out, night had fallen. He had gone the entire day without any sort of food or water. People around him were growing restless. He felt the slightest tinge of comfort knowing he wasn't the only one struggling along at this point. Kurt was scared and alone again. What if he got through to the other side without his mother? What happened if he had to roam the streets of New York by himself? What would father think? They'd all blame him for losing Maria!

The family behind Kurt gave him a slight shove from behind, telling him to move forward. Snapping back to reality from his momentary breakdown, Kurt inched forward. The only consolation was that there was only one person in front of him before he got to the line. As he neared the head of the line, the one next to him intersected with his and there at the front was the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen...

"Mother!" He wanted to run to her, but with all the people around him and the metal barriers separating the lines didn't allow him to get to her.

"Kurt - oh thank God!" Maria ran to the barriers and reached out her hands for her son's.

"I got out of my check-up and couldn't find you. I asked for help, but the officials wouldn't even talk to me."

"Me too, I thought I'd never see you again."

"Now none of that, young man. We're both fine now." Maria gently scolded her son as he began to tear up.

"Everything will be fine now. Trust me, I'm here, and I promise to not let go of you again."

Kurt smiled at his mother's determination. Even through the metal poles, he held onto her as if his life depended on it. Finally, they both made it to the front of their respective lines. The officials at the front, slammed shut their windows, signaling the end to the work day at Ellis Island. All around them, the people in the lines began to shout and scream remarks of protest. The gates at the head of the lines were drawn to a close, leaving Maria and Kurt separated once more.

"Please sir, please, allow my son to come into my line for the night so we can be together, please sir I beg of you!" Maria pleaded with the official who slid closed the gates near her and Kurt.

"Sorry, lady. Everything will open up tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. If you want to save your places, I wouldn't move if I was you." He turned on his heels and walked off. Kurt thought about hopping the barriers for a moment, but Maria stopped him.

"It's ok, we're fine. Just hold tight to me and we'll have everything sorted out in the morning."

"Remember, you promised, don't let go." Kurt looked at Maria with desperation in his eyes, begging for her to protect him.

"Why don't we sit down and get some rest. Here, you hold onto me and sleep for a while. I'll sit up and watch over you. Get some sleep."

Still nervous for both of their lives, Kurt was hesitant about closing his eyes, potentially leaving his mother in grave danger. But one look and he knew Maria would keep him safe. Together, they slid down to the floor, hands still intertwined as tightly as possible, and Kurt drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Hours later, as that same guard made his way around the room checking on the quieted crowd, he happened to pass by Maria and Kurt, the same duo he spoke to briefly just hours before. Knowing they hadn't followed his orders and deliberately disobeyed him, he should have woken them up and made them move to the back of the line, but he didn't have the heart to do such a thing.

While no one was looking, Maria had climbed over the barrier and snuggled down next to her son, Kurt's head now in her lap, and both of them sleeping safely together.

* As promised, they made it safely to America. Not precisely sure all the jargon about the registering and the process for entering Ellis Island are accurate. Kind of shooting from the hip on this one, so please overlook if there are any obvious flaws you see in that regard. Review please and thanks! =) *


	13. In the Clear

The sound of a shrill whistle woke up the Von Trapps the next morning. Kurt went to stretch his arms only to feel something - someone - wrapped snugly around his. He smiled and tightened his mother's grip on him. _She must have hopped the posts in the middle of the night...God bless her. _He slowly got up and removed himself from Maria's arms and gently woke her up, knowing that that the windows would open any minute and it would finally be their turn to register.

"Hey, sleepy head, time to get up," he quietly whispered next to his mother's ears. When Maria didn't stir right away, Kurt gave her a few light shakes and a couple of quick rubs on her back to wake her up.

"Mmhmmm...five more minutes. Still too sleepy to get up." Maria attempted to roll over away from her son, but Kurt caught her and planted a big good morning kiss on her cheeks.

"Nope, you're getting up right now, missy. No excuses."

Maria sat up straight, remembering where she was and how she got there. Kurt was sitting watching her as she yawned and stretched herself.

"Thank you for sneaking over in the middle of the night, mother."

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about." Maria retorted with a quick wink of her eyes. She smiled back at Kurt and they both stood up together as several guards made their presence known. It must have been eight o'clock. The officials were sliding open their windows and all around them, more and more people were beginning to awaken.

Another loud whistle sounded, and the guards at the front of the lines unlatched and opened the gates to each row.

He motioned toward Kurt and Mara, "All right, you two, right this way. Step lively now."

The duo gathered their belongings and quickly moved to the teller window.

Ever the cheerful morning person, Maria greeted their official with a kind smile and gracious greeting.

"Good morning there." Her sweet voice sounded in an almost sing-song manner, making the official behind the counter give her a courteous smile in return.

"Morning to you too ma'am, young man. Papers please."

Maria's face immediately fell. She had no idea they'd need any kind of documentation. When she and Kurt had been separated from Georg and the others, he held all of their papers. When she and her son had traveled from country to country back in Europe, they had done so in a very lax fashion, never really passing through the border patrol properly, so it wasn't like she had travel and exit visas readily available. Why, she didn't even have any form of identification on her! She was about to confess all of this when Kurt boldly stepped in.

"What form of papers are you requiring, sir? We only have identification from Austria, where we're from. But, we're very interested in obtaining American visas and becoming citizens here."

Little did Maria know, but Kurt had done his homework before the S.S. Destiny docked in New York. While his mother spent the majority of her nights walking and strolling the decks of the ship, Kurt was making connections and asking around for anyone who was adept at forging documents and providing papers for when they arrived in New York Harbor. Albeit a dishonest thing to do, but he had no idea what to expect if he and his mother were to arrive with no sort of identification on them. He envisioned burly American guards beating them both and dragging them separately to cells in the middle of a crowded room. Screaming the other's name as they were forced away, never to see each other again.

It had been a costly purchase, almost draining what he held in his pockets for money, but Kurt felt it a necessary wager. God forbid they arrive in a strange country already in trouble with the law. He figured it would be something his father would have done. And that was all the motivation he needed when he handed over the money in exchange for two visas from the older Polish man whose room happened to be two doors down from Kurt and Maria's. They looked legitimate, he only hoped the guards at Ellis Island thought so too.

Kurt snapped back to reality when he heard the man behind the counter exhale rather loudly. Maria nudged her son, still unaware he was taking care of the matter at hand.

"I'm sorry, sir, what was it you were saying?"

"As I mentioned young man, I need proof of identification and need you to make your mark here if you want to register to become American citizens."

"Of course, of course." Kurt handed over the visas he had obtained on the ship, much to the amazement of his mother.

Maria caught her son's gaze at that moment and her eyes held an expression that seemed to say _Where on earth did you get those?_

Kurt merely nodded back, signaling back to his mother to not say a word.

"Maria and Kurt Von Trapp, I assume that's the two of you - hhmm? Well everything seems to be in order here as far as your papers go." The official loudly stamped something onto both documents and handed them back to Kurt.

"And, what about becoming citizens? We'd like to do that as soon as possible."

"You'll have to fill out the appropriate paper work. Takes a few months for it to be processed and there's a waiting list like you wouldn't imagine, what with all of ya coming off the boats every day. Check back in March, and maybe something'll have opened up...NEXT!"

Maria, however, wasn't silenced so easily.

"Excuse me sir, what about the rest of our family? We need to find them."

"Were there others with you who need to register also, madam?"

"Well, not exactly, before we left Austria, we were separated from seven other members of our family. Their last name is the same, Von Trapp. My husband's name is-"

But the guard cut her off and didn't leave any time for her to finish. "Not my department. Go around the other side, the line's much shorter there. Less people are concerned with long lost loved ones and more in a hurry to get the hell out of here. Ask for Mr. Bryant."

Not entirely satisfied with the answer given to her, Maria had no option but to move along. The family behind her in line was already at the window, growing impatient, so she took her document handed to her by Kurt and walked around to find Mr. Bryant.

"When we're alone I want a detailed explanation of how and where you obtained these visas Kurt Von Trapp."

Noting the firm tone in her voice, Kurt meekly nodded as the two walked into the office around the corner as instructed.

As the guard said, there wasn't anybody inside, except a man dressed in a blue uniform sitting at a desk, hidden behind piles of paperwork.

This time Maria started in and did the talking. She realized that the man behind the desk was the same guard who wouldn't allow her to cross the barriers the night before.

"Mr. Bryant?"

"Yes, good morning, how may I help you?"

He had a rounded face and a pair of silver spectacles sat on his nose. His handle bar mustache covered most of his top lip and a day old beard clung to the rest of his face. This man looked worn down and extremely tired.

"We're looking for the rest of our family and the gentleman at the other window told us you'd be able to help us out."

"Did your family get lost in the process of coming off your ship, ma'am?"

"No, you see we just finished telling the other man the same thing. They never made it onto the boat, well not our boat anyway, well we don't think so at least..."

"Ma'am?"

"We're Austrians, and we were separated from my husband and six other children just over two years ago...we'd like to know if there's any way to track them down...to see if they've made it here safely, in America."

Mr. Bryant gave a sharp exhale of breath, much like the first guard did when he showed signs of impatience towards Kurt just moments earlier.

"I'm very sorry to say, but it's almost near impossible to keep track of something like that. You'd have a better chance of finding a tiny needle in a haystack."

"But you don't understand, we've traveled all this way and have no place to go. We're just looking for some help."

"I understand, really I do. But you've got to try and realize how many people come through the doors of this facility with and without loved ones. Some are separated like you, others have died and then there's those who make up somebody just so they don't have to be alone. Quite frankly, we don't have the manpower, money, and most importantly, we certainly don't have the damn time to be looking for every Tom, Dick, and Harry, who may or may not have walked in here. So I'm sorry, lady, but just accept it that that kid behind you may be all you've got left."

Tears sprang to Maria's eyes, threatening to fall any minute. She told herself not to cry. She'd wasted too many tears on Georg and the children and she wouldn't spare any more on this man's tirade.

Kurt sprang to his mother's defense, noticing how weary she was at such an early hour in the day.

"Now you look here, _Mister Bryant._ We're not like everybody else who comes through these doors here. We've been through hell and back - twice. Our family is all we have left. Sure we may be new to this entire country, but we did our damndest to be prepared for when we got to New York, so you better try as hard as you can to find our family because we're not going anywhere!"

For a moment it was a stare down between Kurt and Mr. Bryant. Still only fourteen, Kurt knew he had to hold his ground if he was to be taken seriously. However, it was Mr. Bryant who broke first.

"All right, kid, you win. Here's what I can tell you to do. Write down everything you can about your family. Names, ages, appearances. Be as specific as you possibly can. Unless there's something wrong with somebody, the officials at the counters send them right through providing their paperwork is in order. So don't get your hopes up, 'cuz it's not like they're taking mental notes of every guy and lady they talk to each day. Best we can do, is try to heighten the process and see if anybody passes through here with the descriptions you give us that matches their names on their visas. If something comes up, we'll get in touch with you, but like I said, could take a long time for that to happen, so better put where we can reach you on the off chance is we find them."

"And I'm sorry I snapped at you before, ma'am. As you can see I'm a bit ragged myself from all this paperwork. Haven't been home in two days, my wife is going to kill me."

Maria smiled gratefully at the older gentleman sitting before her as Kurt scribbled onto a sheet of paper. When he was finished, he gave it to his mother to see if she had any additions. Glancing it over once, she didn't make any alterations and Kurt handed the paper back over to Mr. Bryant.

"Hey kid, you didn't put down where you two are staying so we can send someone to get you in case something comes up."

Kurt was silent for a moment, trying to word his next sentence carefully without it sounding too suspicious.

"Well thing is, Mr. Bryant, sir. We're still waiting for our friends who were on the ship with us to pass through registry. They'll know exactly where we'll be staying - my mother and I don't know the exact location."

"That a fact, huh? Well then, best I can do for you is to say for ya to check back in with me in a week or two, stop by and update on where you'll be. Now excuse me as you can see I have a mountain of work to get back to."

Mr. Bryant lowered his head once more and began writing away at his reports on the desk, signaling the meeting between he, Kurt and Maria was over.

"Oh and one more thing," Mr. Bryant spoke without lifting his head from his desk or his pen from the paper. Maria and Kurt turned toward him once more.

"For just being arriving here and being from Austria and all, you both speak excellent English. That'll probably be your saving grace here in New York."

Maria and Kurt took that compliment with them as a very small consolation.

Once again, they took their packs and coats in hand and exited the office. Having officially been welcomed into New York City, Kurt and Maria felt a tinge of relief, knowing they had accomplished their goal.

Yet, as they stepped outside into the frigid air, Maria felt a lump form in her throat. Even though Kurt had been able to come up with a plausible story back in the office,they had absolutely no direction where to go next. And even though they knew exactly where they were: New York City, Maria had no idea what their next move should be.

"Oh my God," she cried out as Kurt took her hand in the cold air and looked at her worried face. "We're lost."

* Yes, they've made it through Ellis Island and now where will they go? =) Hope you're all enjoying this so far and will stick through now Maria and Kurt made it to America safely! Review please! *


	14. Meet Regina

"It didn't dawn on me until just now, but we have nowhere to go...where are we supposed to go?"

Maria began panicking. Here they were, in a strange new country, in the dead of winter, and they were homeless, almost penniless, and completely clueless about everything.

Had they made a terrible mistake coming to America? Would it have been so horrible if they stayed in Austria by themselves? Then Maria remembered why they had come: _Georg...Liesl...Freidrich...Louisa...Brigitta...Marta...Gretl._

She and Kurt had journeyed this far and they weren't stopping until they were with the rest of their family. She vowed to be stronger at that very moment. If she started to lose composure, then Kurt would do the same. She had to remain in control.

Just as she was trying to muster up the courage to verbalize a plan, an older woman bumped right into Maria, knocking her off her feet completely.

"Oh my heavens! I am so sorry, my dear, here please let me help you up!"

The woman dropped what she was carrying to help Maria back up to her feet.

"Are you all right? I didn't see where I was going. I'm in such a hurry - I'm trying to get back to my shop before the weather gets really nasty. Are you hurt?"

A little shaken up, but not injured at all, Maria nodded kindly back at the woman.

"I'm fine thank you. Are you okay?"

"Oh yes, I'm so sorry..."

"Maria, my name is Maria. And this is my son Kurt."

"My name is Regina. Pleased to meet you both. Now if you'll excuse me I am in a bit of a rush. Glad you're not hurt."

Regina bent down to gather her fallen items, which turned out to be a few dozen clothing samples. She was a dress maker and one of the finest in New York Harbor. It just so happened that she made all of the handsome blue uniforms worn by the guards in the Registry Room at Ellis Island.

She stood up straight, but was only able to get a few feet away when all of her things fell to the ground once more.

Kurt rushed over to her aid.

"Would you like some help, Regina? We could carry some of these so you don't lose any?"

"Oh bless you child, that would be wonderful. My shop is only a few blocks in this direction."

Regina handed a few bundles to Kurt who handed them off to his mother. Then he stooped down to gather the rest of the material in his arms while Regina lead the way.

The trio made pleasant small talk on their way to Regina's dress shop.

"Now, tell me, Maria and Kurt. Where are you from?"

"Is it that obvious we're new in town?" Maria wasn't sure if Regina being able to tell they weren't Americans was good or bad for them.

"Well, just a hunch deary. You were both coming out of the offices by the pier, and you don't look like either of you have eaten a thing in days. I figured you're both straight off the boat if you don't mind my saying so."

"We're Austrians, actually. Both from Austria and we literally just arrived here last night." Kurt was attempting to contribute to the conversation while simultaneously trying to navigate his way down the street with the large gathering of clothes in his arms. Plus, it was beginning to snow very rapidly and his visibility was quickly diminishing.

"Austria you say, eh? Well if you want my opinion, both of you speak very nice English. Near perfect if you ask me. Can detect an accent, but couldn't put my finger on where exactly you two were from. I've never been to Europe myself. Always wanted to go to Switzerland - I'm a glutton when it comes to fine chocolates!"

Maria and Kurt shared a laugh at Regina's last remark. _If she only knew how much Swiss chocolate we've eaten the past year..._

"Ah, here we are. Careful not to slip on your way in now dears."

**Designs By Regina**, read the sign hanging above the beautiful little corner shop with a magnificent picture window in the front.

A quaint bell chimed above them as the trio entered the store. Regina placed her bundle of material on one of the counters and went to turn on the lights. It was only about nine o'clock in the morning and the store wouldn't be open for another hour.

Maria and Kurt followed Regina's lead and placed their things on the counter as well. Once the lights flickered on above them, Maria's jaw dropped slightly in awe of the beautiful fabrics hanging on the walls in massive rolls. Gorgeous ball gowns and dresses were displayed on mannequins all around the shop. She peeked behind the counter and saw right into the back part of the shop which must have served as Regina's work area. Measuring tapes and fabric pencils and pieces of chalk were strewn about.

Kurt, on the other hand, was merely grateful for the warmth. They had walked about ten minutes away from the harbor and were now on a very nice little street. It was still early on in the day, but the avenues were busy with people mulling to and fro. Cars and a few horse drawn carriages littered the streets as business men and women rushed to work.

"Well thank you dears so much, but if you'll excuse me now I have a several ladies coming in for alterations and fittings within the hour and need to get my things in order."

"Regina, I can't believe what my eyes are seeing," Maria gushed. "You did all of these beautiful pieces? They're all so lovely."

"Well thank you, Maria. Yes, it did take some time to get those couple in the window done, what with all the lace around the collars and all...wouldn't have taken so long had I not lost my best assistant last month."

"Why what happened to her?" Kurt piped in.

"Oh nothing serious, she just had a baby that's all and is out of work for a while now. Wouldn't normally be an issue you see, but my sixty-five-year-old hands aren't quite what they used to be, you know. So it's been a bit of a challenge trying to get all this work done by myself. Gretta - that's my assistant with the baby now - Gretta was a real pro at handling the financial part of the shop and also a damn good dress maker's assistant if you pardon the language. It's no wonder I've lost so much sleep the past several weeks trying to get my orders done on time."

A light bulb went off in Maria's head. She had the perfect solution. If she and Kurt could fill the void of Regina's assistant for the time being, then they'd have solved their financial woes for the moment. All they'd have to do would be to find a place to live for a while. She caught Kurt's gaze and he seemed to have thought of the same thing. He was just about to open his mouth when Maria interjected.

"Regina, I do believe I can help you out."

"Oh and how is that exactly?"

"Well, I have some experience in making clothes. I used to do it all the time back in Austria and I'd be willing to be your assistant temporarily until Gretta comes back."

Regina looked Maria over once, up and down. Trying to size up her fashion sense and see if she really had any idea about what she was talking. She cocked her head to the side and motioned for Maria to come closer.

"Let me see your hands."

"What?"

"Your hands, dear. If you're going to be my assistant you're going to need good hands for all the work. Able to work a needle and thread with great ease? I don't need nobody holding me back!"

"Oh no, Regina, I won't be a hinderance, I promise." Maria held up her palms and Regina took her hands and turned them over examining them.

Kurt looked on with hope in his eyes.

"Well, you're right about the hands. They look like they've endured some hard work..."

Regina put Maria's hands down and glanced over at Kurt who was still standing at the counter trying to act casual. She returned her gaze back to Maria and seemed to still be scrutinizing as her eyes narrowed.

"All right, but at the first sign of you wearing down things here you're both gone - understood?"

"Yes ma'am. And I guarantee you won't regret this." Maria took Regina's hand in hers and shook it enthusiastically.

"You, Kurt you said your name was? You'll be in charge of keeping everything in order. Sweeping and mopping the floors at the end and beginning of the day. And taking inventory of all the fabrics. Making deliveries, doing heavy lifting. Pretty much doing odd jobs whenever needed, how's that sound?"

"Odd-job is my middle name, not to worry, ma'am." Kurt joked and Regina let out a slight snort of a laugh at his remark.

"Ok then, both of you follow me." Regina passed into the back room of the shop. When neither Kurt nor Maria followed her right away she quickly poked her head back in and commanded them for to hurry along, "Come on now, store opens soon."

Maria and Kurt hurriedly walked into the back room and into the far corner where Regina led them up a narrow staircase to the second level above the shop. When they got to the top of the stairs they were in a small apartment with its own grand picture window overlooking the street corner below.

"Now I live a few blocks east of here with my husband, but I own the entire building and stay up here occasionally when the weather's bad or when I have a large order and I know I'll need all the time I can give so I'll stay here on late nights." Regina motioned her hand all across the room. "You'll stay here while you work for me, provided you keep it as clean as it is now. Like I said, first sign of trouble you're out of here. I don't need anybody slowing me down, got it?"

Maria went to disagree, but Regina stopped her.

"Don't say a word. I can see you both need this, and well it'll be nice to have somebody here all the time even when I'm not...you did a really nice thing helping me out back at the harbor just now. Most people would have ignored me and left me there in the middle of the snow on my hands and knees scrambling to get my things together. I appreciate your generosity so in return I'm offering you this as long as you stay on the terms I've outlined for you. Take it or leave it."

Maria and Kurt were truly touched. They had been in America barely over twenty-four hours and already they had jobs, a place to live, and more importantly, a new friend. Rather than showing his appreciation through words, Kurt walked over and pulled Regina into a hug so fierce, he lifted her off the ground by a few inches.

Regina cried out in laughter as Kurt placed her safely back on the floor.

"We can't thank you enough, really. You don't know how much this means to us, Regina." Maria stood admiring her son's actions and chimed in.

"Yes, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This means the world to us."

"Think nothing of it. Just remember what you've both agreed to. Now take some time to settle in with your things. Shop opens at ten and I'll expect you both downstairs before then to get started for the day."

...

Hours later, after more times than he cared to recall of carrying and dropping off boxes upon boxes of material and clothing samples, Kurt collapsed onto the full sized bed in the bedroom alcove of the upstairs apartment. His back ached and his feet were throbbing. He couldn't wait for sleep to come.

Maria crashed down onto the bed beside him. She was prepared for the physical labor of working with a needle and thread having made the majority of her clothes while at the villa in Austria, but nothing could have readied her for the day she had. Her fingers were swollen from being in one position all day long and there were tiny cuts all along her hands from the needle point.

Kurt looked over at his mother and reached out to place his hand on hers. "I'm too tired to even take my shoes off. I just want to sleep right here on top of the covers."

"Me too," was all Maria could muster in reply.

They fell asleep holding hands still in their clothes that they had been wearing since before arriving in America. _Just another journey we're starting_, was the last thought going through Kurt's mind as he passed out, exhausted from a hard day's work.

* I figured it was time for Maria and Kurt to meet a new friend kind of how they had Klaus and Anita back in Switzerland...what do you think of Regina so far? I can't believe I'm at Chapter 13 already...feels weird to think I was just writing out the prologue, trying to decide how this story would turn out. Not that Maria and Kurt have a new friend and a new home (temporarily) I think they'll be in New York for another chapter or two. But who knows! Your reviews could persuade me to write them otherwsie - use the review button pretty please! You're all so kind =) *


	15. Wednesdays

Regina looked easy going on the outside, but when it came time for work, she was a drill sergeant. She made sure Maria and Kurt were up and in the shop no later than nine o'clock. She liked having the extra hour before opening to go over the day's projects and finish off any last minute details she and Maria might have overlooked the day before. Maria and Kurt weren't complaining, however. Quite the contrary as a matter of fact. They were happy for their new American friend. She chuckled openly as she heard Maria and Kurt speak English, as they tried to adapt in their new homeland. They didn't mind when they heard her laugh, they found her way of speaking amusing too. All-in-all, things were moving smoothly.

Now that they had a place of residence, Kurt went back to the Registry Room offices to speak with Mr. Bryant on a weekly basis. Every Wednesday morning he would awaken earlier than usual and make the short trek to the harbor where he'd wait with two cups of steaming coffee. Mr. Bryant loved Wednesdays because each week Kurt surprised him with a different blend of coffee. Sadly, each week Mr. Bryant also had to tell Kurt there wasn't anything new on his family. Kurt would hand Mr. Bryant his coffee and smile dejectedly as he made his way back to Regina's shop.

And so it was just another Wednesday morning as Kurt walked back into the store, bell chiming above him. He looked up at it with obvious annoyance and slammed the door closed, perhaps a little too hard.

"You break my door, you pay for a new one to be put up in its place. You know how long it could take to do that in this snowy weather?" Regina didn't even look up from the counter. She was going over the end of the month finances. January had been a productive couple of weeks. With Maria as her new assistant, more orders were being put through and word was getting out about Regina's speedy helper she had in the shop.

"I'm sorry, Regina...I just hate Wednesdays."

Kurt wiped his wet, snow covered feet on the door mat as he took off his hat and coat. He sadly walked over to the closet, hung up his things, and gathered the mop and broom, ready to start his morning chores.

"If you hate them so much, why bother with the coffee nonsense? Go there, talk to that man, and leave. That's that."

It was now that Regina looked up to make eye contact with Kurt. Over the month or so time she had gotten to know him, she had come to find out that he was an individual who wore his heart on his sleeve. And every Wednesday when he returned from the boatyard, she knew he'd sulk for the better part of the morning, but then be fine come afternoon after he had time to think things over.

"Because if I suddenly decide to abandon my principles and forget about my manners and being a decent person, then maybe, just maybe one of these weeks, Mr. Bryant could have some information on my family and he'd see what a complete imbecile I was and could decide to withhold said information. He doesn't have to be kind to me, he just is."

"Huh, well I suppose you're right. Never occurred to me that could happen."

"Besides, it's not like I can just turn off the charm, once it's out, it's there to stay. It's how you got to like me in the first place." Kurt turned to Regina and gave her a sly wink and smile.

_Well maybe today will be a better Wednesday for him,_ Regina thought to herself as she returned the smile and went back to the books.

At that moment Maria came into the room holding several garment bags full of new dresses she had just finished off, ready for pick up.

"My word, Maria, I can't believe you finished those off. Don't tell me that's the McKendrick order?" Regina stood at the counter, mouth agape, in sheer awe of Maria's work.

"Indeed it is, Regina. Got up early when Kurt left this morning to finish off the sashes. Oh I hope she loves them as much as I do!"

Maria couldn't help herself. She unzipped the bags and took out the three dresses she had made for Susan McKendrick's daughters. They were triplets and had come to see Regina to make dresses for their joint sweet sixteen birthday party. From what they all gathered, it was to be quite the social event of the season and when the four McKendrick women first arrived, Maria knew the job was going to be especially difficult. All three girls despised their mother for making them share a sweet sixteen party, and all three wanted different styled dresses. Susan McKendrick, however, insisted upon matching dresses for all the girls. Matching styles, matching colors, matching everything. Of course, that just made the girls even more rebellious and each of them refused to even pose for Maria while she tried to get their measurements. Finally, after three visits and three attempted failed fitting sessions, Maria boldly suggested she make three, very _similar_ dresses, but different colors. Susan McKendrick softened at the idea when all three girls suddenly became interested and attentive.

One dress was to be lavender, v-cut front neck line, long sleeved with a white satin sash that tied in the back very elegantly, and knee length.

The second daughter insisted upon a floor length ball gown style dress. It was to be canary yellow with short sleeves, the fabric was very long and flowed nicely to the floor, also v-cut front neck line, also with a white satin sash tied elegantly in back.

The third dress was almost exactly like the first. However, it was to have three-quarter length sleeves and be powder blue. The v-cut front neck line was there, there was a white satin sash, too.

Susan McKendrick thanked Maria over and over again when she brought her daughters to see the final products. All three girls squealed with delight as they came out of the fitting rooms to show off their dresses. Maria couldn't help but smile as each girl admired her sister's dress and ooed and aahed over the details on each.

Taking them back out of the garment bags now to glance over them once more, Maria was glad to be rid of them. They took almost a week each to make and even though they looked beautiful in them, the McKendrick girls were entirely high maintenance and Maria was glad she was only making their dresses and not planning their party.

"Maria it's no wonder I hired you. These are absolutely lovely and I'm sure the girls will love you for the work you've done."

"Thank you Regina."

Kurt walked over and casually glanced at the dresses.

"Seems an awful lot of work for just a few dresses, if you ask me."

"Well we didn't ask you, so why don't you get back to cleaning the floors, eh?"

Maria playfully shover her son away from the dresses. She knew his mischievous streak and she wasn't going allow him to pull some prank minutes before she was free of her dresses.

Kurt just laughed to himself, thinking of what he and Louisa and Freidrich would have done to the three McKendrick girls. He could just see how his brother covering them with honey at their fancy party and then Louisa running up with a bag of feathers, throwing every last one on the girls as they stood looking like chickens for their big day. Kurt had to admit to himself, that he still had it when it came to thinking up pranks. After all, he was the rascal behind the glue on Fraulein Josephine's toothbrush.

Maria looked over at her son, laughing outwardly to himself as he swept around the display mannequins.

"What's so funny over there?" She inquired with a smile, herself. His laughter was just too infectious.

"Nothing, mother." But he continued on laughing.

Soon the McKendrick girls all arrived to pick up and pay for their dresses. Kurt made sure to not be in the front when they got there, for he was certain he'd laugh in their faces, still thinking of them looking like sticky chickens.

Thankfully, the winter wasn't too harsh and it didn't last too much longer. The groundhog must not have seen his shadow because buds were forming on the trees before the end of March. And before they knew it, April and May had come and gone, leaving a trail of profitable customers who sought out Regina's services to create the most gorgeous spring attire pieces.

Warmer weather usually brought a happier, more jovial Maria. Spring time always meant being on her mountain, frolicking, singing, taking long naps in the sun. This was the very first time in her entire life that Maria found herself surrounded by tall concrete buildings rather than lush, rolling green hills.

She began to slip away into a deep depression. Sure she still carried on with her work as usual, but Regina, and more importantly, Kurt noticed a difference in her overall demeanor. While at the shop, she was was an absolute work horse. Maria never stopped moving until it grew dark out and Regina left for the night. During her down time and on days off, she was a whole 'nother person entirely. She stopped caring about where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. She felt like all she wanted to do was cry, but the tears never came.

Kurt was beginning to worry more than normal about Maria. He felt he had done a pretty decent job keeping note on his mother's behavioral traits over the years and he thought he had them all down. Unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for her sudden lapse into unhappiness. He had only seen her like this one time before and that was immediately after her miscarriage, but that was because something beyond terrible had happened in her life. Now, she had a place to live, a job, friends, and she was safely in America. Kurt was dumbfounded. Why was Maria so suddenly unhappy? What would make her snap out of her momentary slump?

* Not to worry, they'll be seeing their green mountains soon enough. Please read and review! Love the comments thus far keep them coming =) *


	16. Shattered Hope

Kurt had a brilliant beyond brilliant idea. He was going to take his mother on a weekend holiday up to the countryside. He realized that's what was making his mother so depressed. Maria needed her hills, she was missing the land she loved so dearly. It was bad enough she had been separated from the love of her life for almost three years, but now she was facing a whole new way of life, a life without any mountains.

One afternoon, Kurt asked Regina for her opinion on where would be a proper place to take Maria to cheer her up. Now, Regina wasn't originally from New York. She was born and raised in New Hampshire, but left there when she fell in love with her husband and the duo moved together when they got married. So Regina's immediate suggestion was to send Kurt eastward to her home state.

"New Hampshire? Where exactly is that Regina?"

"Well, it's actually an entirely different state. You have to pass through the state of Vermont to get to New Hampshire. I was born in a little town called Dover, it's on the East coast."

"So is it far away? I mean, is it worth the trouble of traveling through an entirely different state to get to another one?"

"Oh yes. Especially this time of year it's lovely there. June in New Hampshire is breath taking. Summer breezes off the lake, warm walks through the forests, eating ice cream along the water...it's absolutely magical. It's a shame I haven't been back in so long."

"Well, then why don't you come along with us? We could go together and have a terrific holiday!"

"No thank you, dear. As kind of an offer as that one is, this trip is for your mother. She needs some time just you and her together to help her feel like her old self again."

"Are you sure? Because for nearly three years it's been just mother and I, I'm sure she wouldn't mind your company."

"Trust me, Kurt, she needs you. She may not say it openly, but her heart aches to talk to you about what she's feeling right now. Go to the mountains and sit and listen to what she has to say. Even if she just needs to let her emotions go and cry for a little. You'll be there to comfort her and tell her things will be okay."

Kurt agreed that it would have to be a trip solely dedicated to making Maria feel better. Regina arranged for them to have the next Friday off from the store so Maria and Kurt could take a long weekend to New Hampshire. She told Kurt exactly how to get to New Hampshire via train and that once they stepped off in the Dover area, there were dozens of inns and bed and breakfasts where they could spend the two nights there. So, Kurt wasn't worried. He didn't really have to make an itinerary because with the mountains in sight, he knew his mother would want to spend her time on them as much as possible.

It was settled then, and Kurt went to the train station the very next morning to buy two tickets for the trip. What he didn't expect, however, was the surprise awaiting him when he got back to Regina's store...

A woman he didn't recognize was chatting enthusiastically with Regina by the front window. She looked to be about Maria's age, and she was bouncing a small child on her knee, the baby squealing with delight at his mother.

Regina was laughing a hearty laugh when Kurt walked in and the chime above the door sounded. She turned to greet him.

"Oh Kurt, so glad you're back! This is Gretta - my assistant. She came to introduce me to her baby, Nicholas."

"How do you do, Gretta. I'm Kurt. My mother and I have been working for Regina since the beginning of January."

Kurt walked towards Gretta and extended his hand in a friendly gesture.

"It's very nice to meet you, Kurt. Regina's been filling me in on all the hard work you've been doing in my absence. The shop has never looked better."

"Thank you, ma'am. That's very kind of you. Who's this little guy?"

"Oh this is Nicholas my son. Would you like to hold him?"

"Um, all right. If it's okay with you." Gretta held her son out and Kurt carefully picked him up. For a minute, Nicholas sat silently in Kurt's arms, scrutinizing his every move. After a few minutes, Kurt readjusted the baby and Nicholas let out a small giggle. The sudden movement must have tickled Nicholas slightly, so when Kurt did it again, the baby was sent into a fit of hysterics. Regina and Gretta soon joined in with the laughter and soon everybody was giggling like crazy. They were laughing so loudly they didn't even hear Maria enter from the back room where she had been working.

"What's going on here?" She was in the middle of a smaller order, but felt the tiniest bit of annoyed having been interrupted from her work.

Regina calmed down to make introductions yet again.

"Maria this is Gretta and her son Nicholas. They've come for a visit."

Gretta turned in Maria's direction. "It's a real pleasure to finally meet you, Maria. Regina has been talking about you nonstop."

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Gretta." Maria tensed up. Until that point she had forgotten completely about Gretta. She had gotten so comfortable living above the store, that it slipped her mind she was only a temporary solution to Regina's employee dilemma. She realized she and Kurt would have to go. Gretta was obviously back to her normal state and would naturally assume her role as Regina's assistant. _Yes, we'll have to leave soon then,_ Maria thought. She made a mental note to speak with Regina once Gretta left. It was time she and Kurt were moving along. After all, they were still determined to find the rest of the Von Trapps. Staying in New York would only prevent that.

Maria politely excused herself and went back to finishing her order. An hour or so went by and she heard the door chime, open and close, signaling Gretta and her baby had left. Regina walked into the back room to find Maria busy at work.

"Well, that was a lovely surprise. It's nice you and Gretta were able to meet each other, what with you both going to work alongside me and all."

Maria's head snapped up from her sewing machine.

"Work alongside you, Regina?"

"Yes, something I've been toying with. To think what we three could do if we all were seamstresses together here in the shop! She's expressed interest in returning by the end of the month. I accepted and figured you and Kurt would stay on full time, what do you think of that?"

Maria took a minute to register Regina's words. If she was offering to let her stay, then she and Kurt wouldn't have to leave. They could simply stay and make New York their home. _No! I cannot stay here knowing Georg and the children are off somewhere else!_ Tears formed in her eyes and Maria knew she was only using Regina as a way of avoiding her problems. She had to face her demons. Georg was out there and she had to find him. She couldn't go on any longer without his touch, without his laugh.

She was completely lost in her own thoughts and didn't even hear Regina.

"Maria - Maria...did you hear what I said? I'd like you and Kurt to stay."

Maria looked up and took a deep breath.

"That's very kind of you to offer to help us, Regina. But unfortunately we must decline."

At that moment, Kurt happened to walk through the room carrying a bundle of clothing samples he had just picked up down on the pier. He stopped in his tracks, hearing the conversation between his mother and Regina.

"You don't want to stay here? Think of the work we could do? And nothing would have to change - you two could continue living upstairs and we'd be happy all together!"

Regina's face was lit up with joy. Over the past six months, she had grown attached to the Von Trapps. She saw extreme potential in Maria and loved Kurt's spirit and sense of youth. She didn't want them to go.

"It's not that we don't want to stay. We owe you so very much for all you've done for us, but we both knew this would only be a temporary fix. Gretta is able to work again and you have no need for two assistants. And besides, Kurt and I have to be moving along. We'll use the time to look more for the rest of our family. So thank you, but we really can't accept knowing it would be for the wrong reason."

Kurt's heart sank as he stood waiting in the wings. After all the planning he had just done to ensure a nice leisurely getaway to cheer up his mother, she was going to sit there and refuse Regina's hospitality. He was crushed.

"Maria, really, there's nothing I can do or say to make you both stay? Anything to change your mind?"

"Really, our minds are made up. We knew this was something that was bound to happen and it's unfortunate and very sad that it's happening now, but we have to deal with it. I love your generosity and compassion you've shared with us, but honestly and truly this is what has to happen, Regina. I'm so sorry if it offends you, but we need to move on."

Regina stood there, pursing her lips as if she was about to speak again. She was like that for some time, mouth opening like she wanted to speak, then would close it thinking how to collect her thoughts. Kurt wanted to say something in his defense - anything! He didn't want to leave New York just yet.

Finally, Regina was able to put together a coherent sentence. She spoke with teary eyes.

"Well, you're right I guess. We did know you'd only be here for a short time. I suppose it'll just take some getting used to not having you around. Probably all for the best. I know how deeply you and your son miss and need your family. Your places are with them, go and find them. I'm needed here, but know this: if you ever find yourself without a place to live or a friend, come back here. My offer is open-ended, it stands."

Maria stood from her seat and went to embrace the older woman. They cried together and held each other tightly. Kurt felt a lump starting to form in his throat and didn't want to show any signs of pain so he carefully wiped away the tears that were starting to fall. He couldn't believe he and his mother were moving again.

Regina broke apart from Maria and looked her square in the eyes.

"What next? Do you have any idea of what your next move will be?"

"I truly don't but Kurt and I will talk it over and figure out how to move on from here."

Maria glanced over at her son, who appeared to be deep in his own thoughts. Regina spoke again.

"But where will you go now?"

Maria was about to speak when she was cut off by Kurt.

"New Hampshire." He looked square in his mother's eyes to solidify his answer. "We'll be moving to New Hampshire from here."

* Tensions fly the next few chapters - get ready for them! Thanks for the help thus far everybody =) *


	17. Enraged

"New Hampshire? What's there?"

Maria looked questioningly at her son with a wary eye.

"It's where our new home will be mother. It's all been arranged."

He stormed out of the room, leaving a dumbfounded Maria to her work. Regina caught on instantly. Kurt would simply use his vacation as a new destination for he and his mother. Even though she was saddened at their sudden departure, she knew what Kurt was thinking on this one. At least Maria would have her mountains back, maybe that would bring some color into her face again. Regina excused herself and went back out to the front of the shop to tidy some things up. It was almost closing time after all.

Regina locked up for the night, bidding good day to Maria and Kurt, as she went out into the cool summer weather for her walk home.

Upstairs in the shop's apartment, tempers were flying.

"How could you just do that without even speaking with me first? Don't I have a say in any of this? I thought we were happy here?"

Kurt was furious with his mother. He had never felt this way toward her before, but that couldn't stop the rage building up inside of him.

"Kurt, listen to me, we knew that we'd never be able to stay here for good. Can you honestly say you'd be able to make New York our new home?"

"That's beside the point. Who knows what may have or may not have happened here."

"Oh really, then what exactly is the point here because obviously I'm missing it?"

"New York Harbor is the center for all immigration, mother. Don't you get it? If we leave the city, we give up on our best chance of ever finding father and the others. I don't see how you're giving up so easily!" He was shouting at her now. He tried to calm the tone of his voice but he was just too angry.

"Just wait one minute here young man! How dare you tell me that I'm giving up! You know as well as I that I've been fighting to find everybody else just as much as you. So don't you even suggest such a thing that I don't care about this family!"

Maria's voice was as loud as Kurt's by now, if not louder. It was a good thing Regina had already left for the day, for she would have clearly not tolerated such a commotion.

"You do this every time we get comfortable somewhere. You get that sad look in your face and all of a sudden we have to pick up and move! I would just appreciate to be included in the decisions of this family. Why can't you trust me?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I've never been comfortable anyplace we've been. Was I comfortable having a miscarriage in a drafty inn back in Switzerland? Or getting stalked by Nazis on the French border? Please remind me how this is all my fault!"

Maria closed the distance between them. Rage was boiling inside her and she felt herself clenching her fists at her sides.

Kurt refused to back down. He met her toe-to-toe. He was practically the same height as she was now anyway. In stature, he shouldn't have had to be afraid. He was trembling he was so angry.

"That may be so, but you have just screwed both of us here."

Maria unclenched her right fist only to deliver a hard smack across Kurt's cheeks. He instinctively brought his hand up to his face. Maria didn't let up, instead of being remorseful for her actions, she laid into her son even more.

"If you think for a second that I am going to stand idly by while you mouth off to me, think again. But as head of this family for the time being, my decisions are final and you will respect that, is that clear?"

Kurt only glared at her. Silent as anything, he refused to yield. Maria stared him down, her eyes threatening another harsh blow.

"I said is that clear?"

"Crystal, ma'am." Kurt replied in mock reverence. He turned on his heels and went and locked himself in the small bathroom in the apartment. When she heard the door lock shut, Maria collapsed onto the window seat and sobbed. She had struck her son and she had yelled at him. In the two and a half years since they'd been on their own, she and Kurt had always managed to get along extremely peacefully. Now, she had gone and disrupted that.

Their final week with Regina seemed to fly by. Maria and Kurt hardly spoke. Neither one wanting to forfeit their pride by apologizing to the other, so they remained silent at all costs.

The day came to bid farewell to Regina. Gretta had agreed to start back earlier than scheduled since Maria and Kurt were leaving. So she was keeping a watch at the shop as Regina stood on the platform with Maria and Kurt.

The train whistle sounded for the second time, signaling the final boarding call.

"Now you both promise me not to leave each other's sides. And as soon as you find the rest of your family, write me as quickly as you can to let me know you're safe."

Kurt mutely nodded and Maria moved to embrace the woman she had grown to think of as a mother the past half of year. They hugged for a few quick moments before Regina pulled away.

"You better hurry or you'll miss the train and be stuck with me." The older woman faintly smiled at her own joke and Maria gave her another quick squeeze on the arms before collecting her bags.

"We'll never be able to thank you enough for saving us, you know. Don't forget us."

"Impossible. And remember what I said, if you ever find yourself without anything, don't hesitate to come back here. I'll be waiting with open arms if need be."

Maria nodded and moved toward the train. She glanced over and Kurt and motioned for him to follow her quickly. He turned to Regina, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"There, there, darling. No need for any of that now." Regina pulled Kurt into a bear hug and allowed him to cry onto the shoulder of her dress. Kurt sobbed into the fabric, his hands clawing at her back, unable to voice the emotions circling through him.

"You're such a wonderful person...I wish we could have stayed longer."

He pulled away and dried his face, sniffling as he wiped his eyes on his sleeves.

"Everything happens for a reason. You need to stay strong and protect your mother. She needs you now more than ever. You have to let her know you're on her side here. Burry the hatchet and let her know you love her. Not to worry my dear, God will provide for you. Just remember what I told you about New Hampshire and enjoy those mountains. Breathe in some of that crisp air for me when you get in."

By now the train had started rolling away from the platform. Kurt and Regina hugged one final time. Kurt was able to grab his bags and literally jump into the moving car just as the conductor came to secure the doors. Kurt turned just before that was about to happen and blew a farewell kiss to Regina; leaving her behind all alone on the platform in New York City.

* Trying something new here. Decided it was time to drift away from Maria and Kurt being happy with each other all the time. Did it work? Review and let me know! =) *


	18. Apologies

The cool air inside the train helped - a little. Getting on the train and giving his ticket to the nearest conductor, Kurt felt his rage and sudden contempt for his mother racing back again. He was just comprehending how long they were going to be confined to a small train compartment and they still hadn't made up. The conductor guided Kurt along the narrow corridors to their car and tipped his cap as he left to attend to other passengers.

Maria had already stowed her things above one of the benches. Since they were only going for a short trip originally, Kurt hadn't purchased tickets for a sleeper car, so they were going to make the long trek in a regular day car. His mother was sitting at the far end of the right bench facing the window. She didn't even move as Kurt slid open the door.

He threw his bags up above the left bench and sat down, staking it as his territory for the trip. Sitting down across from his mother at the door side of the bench, Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and stretched out so his legs were resting on his mother's bench. Still, Maria made no movements.

Was she crying? Yes, Kurt was able to see her face a bit tear stained and it made his tough guy facade melt slightly. He wanted to slide down and comfort her, but still refused to admit he was the wrong one. She was the one who hit him after all. Yes, it should definitely be her to break the silence and apologize.

Instead of lending his shoulder, Kurt leaned back and closed his eyes and felt sleep enter. He was emotionally drained from all the fighting. It was going to take a lot of energy on the long ride. It was just under a twenty hour ride if you counted the time they'd have to wait while they transferred from Boston to get to New Hampshire. Kurt groaned doing the math in his head. He looked down at the ticket he was still holding onto. _Wait a second...Durham, New Hampshire? Dammit! I bought us passage to the wrong town - Regina's from Dover not Durham!_

Cursing to himself, Kurt felt like a complete fool. Perhaps Maria was right, maybe he should be leaving the important decisions to her if he couldn't even get something as simple as the name of the right town correct. _Oh well, she never knew where we were going in the first place, so it will be a surprise to the both of us._

He closed his eyes and welcomed sleep. As he eyes became droopy and he slid down the bench so he was fully laid out on his side. Across the compartment, Maria had already done the same and was sound asleep, facing her son.

They got to Boston and on the connecting train to New Hampshire without any complications. There was a decent two hours left until they arrived at their destination. Kurt was sleeping once more, but Maria had wandered off to the club car for some coffee and breakfast. When she got back to her car, Kurt was wide awake gazing out the window.

Maria felt it was time to break the tension between them. She approached him and sat down directly across from her son.

"I figured you'd be hungry after all the traveling." Her outstretched hands offered Kurt a cup of steaming coffee and a tempting looking danish. He was slightly provoked to refuse the gesture, but was starving so took his breakfast gladly.

"Thank you," was his only reply. Spoken very meekly as he stole a glance at his mother who was staring straight back at him.

"You're welcome...it's nice to hear your voice again." Maria gave him a tired smile. She was trying. As outspoken and easily tempered as she was, she had to rectify things. She would be the bigger person and give in.

"I'd like to say how sorry I am for the way things got so out of hand the past week. It was very wrong of me to let my temper get the best of me and I should have never hit you."

Kurt looked up from his half-eaten danish in his lap. He took a slow swig of his coffee and boldly sat up to face his mother.

He wanted to reciprocate, but he only could give her a small nod in return.

Maria could see her son wasn't going to give in as easily, but she had hoped he would have at least returned her apology. So she kept on talking.

"I can understand you still being extremely angry at me, but it's been eating at me inside not being able to talk and joke around with you. You're - you're all I have. If we start turning on each other then where will we be? Hhmm? If I don't have you in my corner, then I suppose I'm truly all alone."

Her eyes were begging for forgiveness, but Kurt still didn't speak. Maria felt compelled to continue, but didn't know how any clearer she could be on what she was feeling.

Kurt finished his danish and wiped his hands on his pant legs. Taking another sip of coffee, he looked at his mother once more. She never took her eyes off of him. He stared back into her blue eyes, then dropped his head so he was focused on his lap.

Maria gave up. Frustrated, she gave a sharp exhale of her breath and concentrated on looking out the window once more.

"Did you know why I picked New Hampshire?"

Maria was surprised to hear Kurt's voice after the awkward silence. His head still hung low and he was avoiding making eye contact with her now.

"Are you ready to tell me now?"

He raised his head slightly and looked up.

"I picked it because it's where I was going to take you on a holiday before you went and decided we had to leave."

Confusion plaguing her expression, Maria's face urged Kurt to go on.

"Remember how you were so sad lately? Well Regina and I got to talking about how we could make you happier, you know, cheer you up. I told her it was because the weather was so nice and you must have missed the mountains back in Austria. Regina mentioned how she was from New Hampshire and they had glorious mountains there. Nothing like what we're used to, she assured me, but still enough to get your fix and maybe get you in better spirits."

Kurt stopped to look to see if Maria was still listening. She was fully engaged in his every word, so he went on.

"So I came and bought two tickets for a long weekend...but then you blew up at Regina, then me and well, you ruined the surprise. We were supposed to go there this weekend for a short trip. And then when you announced we'd be going, I figured, well what the hell, and that's why I said New Hampshire. If there are mountains there at all, I figured it'd be at least a shot to see if you'd be like your old self again...that's why I picked it."

Maria put her coffee down on the bench and went to kneel down in front of Kurt. She took his coffee from his hands and placed it by his side, taking his hands in hers, pleading for forgiveness.

"That has to be the sweetest thing anybody's every done for me...no honestly. You went through all that trouble for me? Is that why you were so upset?"

Kurt nodded childishly back at his mother. "I just wanted to make you happy. I knew that if father had been here he'd have been able to make you smile no matter what. I was just trying to help you."

He looked her square in the eyes and slipped down to the floor beside her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and allowed his mother to hold him there on the floor; he allowed his mother to rock his fourteen year old self back and forth in comfort. Maria held on tightly her son.

"God bless you, Kurt Von Trapp. I love you so much, so very much."

"I love you too, you silly woman."

Maria chuckled at Kurt's retort.

"I am sorry, sorry for yelling at you, sorry for accusing you of giving up so easily. If anything I should be praising you for keeping us together."

Maria shut her eyes and rocked Kurt some more and rubbed his back.

"I know I've said this before time and time again, but you're growing into such a wonderful young man - pig headed and stubborn just like your father, but still a true Von Trapp. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for the surprise, I can't wait to see the mountains with you once we get to New Hampshire."

Kurt smiled into his mothers neck. "You're welcome. Thanks for apologizing first."

This time Maria laughed loudly at Kurt's remark.

"Anything for you."

* New Hampshire is next! What do you think about the story now? Reviews are welcome as always =) *


	19. New Hampshire

They could feel the difference in the air when they got off the train in Durham, New Hampshire. Even with the hot June sun beating down upon them, Maria and Kurt were immediately at ease with a nice summer breeze as they stepped down off the platform.

Maria was the first to speak.

"Oh look at those mountains!" She turned back at her son, beaming with all sorts of happiness.

The mountains weren't like anything they were used to, it was true. But Kurt was just glad to see his mother's smile again. _This is why I chose to come here in the first place, to make her smile._

He reached over and took Maria's hand as they walked away from the station. Hand-in-hand they strolled into the quaint little town of Durham. It was just after eleven in the morning. The train had made perfect time from Boston and with not a care in the world for the moment, Kurt suggested they continue on walking until someplace or someone caught their attention. The happiest she had been in years - literally - Maria agreed to her son's suggestion without any complaint.

Susan Winter was running late. She promised her mother and grandmother she'd be home almost an hour ago. Now she found herself panting heavily as she ran through the streets of Durham back toward the bed and breakfast where she lived.

_Oh why didn't I keep a better eye on the time? _She cursed to herself as she weaved in and out of people on the sidewalks. She cruised by her favorite book store and waved to the owner, Teddy, who was in the display window setting up some new books. Normally she would have gone right in to sit and read for hours, but not today. Today was Saturday and that meant the end of the week chores for her. Guests would be checking out leaving for the weekend, and a whole new group of them would be coming in tomorrow for the start of the week.

Not that she was complaining or anything. Susan loved where she lived. She met so many fascinating people living at Shimmering Fountain Inn with her mother and grandmother. How many thirteen year olds could say they knew how to start a fire from kindling _and _be able to make a delicious dish of bananas foster? Mmmm...her mouth started watering just at the mere thought of her most favorite dessert.

It was just that Susan hadn't ever really had a regular weekend like most other teenagers. She grew up in the bed and breakfast, doing chores on a daily basis thinking nothing of it. There were very few days in her life where she was permitted to sleep in. How she longed for a morning where she didn't have to hear the buzzing of her alarm clock going off at six o'clock. But she was used to it by now. When she was very young she was only in charge of stripping the beds and the light cleaning of the guest rooms, but as she grew older she was given more responsibility. So now, at age thirteen, she was also doing some heavy cooking and baking. Of course she was nothing close to the wiz in the kitchen like her mother and grandma Eli, but she was learning.

If she only had looked at the clock a bit sooner while sun bathing by the lake on the far side of town with her friends, she'd already be back home, apron on, ready to start making the dough for tomorrow's breakfast biscuits. She was only a few more streets away, when a lost looking couple waved her down on the opposite side of the street.

_Who are they? They don't look like they're from here...oh now's really not the time to be stopping for help! _Susan cursed to herself again, but cautiously crossed the street to see what the couple wanted.

"Hi, you both look lost." She was able to muster out only a simple sentence as she caught her breath.

Maria and Kurt exchanged glances and then Maria spoke up.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that. We're from out of town and brand new here. We were wondering if you knew a place where we might stay for the night?"

Susan stood with her hands on her knees catching her breath, her beach towel flopping over her arms as it fell off her shoulders.

Kurt mimicked her stance and bent over to look her in the face.

"Are you okay? You look a little run-down. Here," he went into his bag and brought out his canteen that he had luckily filled up before getting off the train, "why don't you have some water? Maybe that will help."

He offered her the water and she accepted without any hesitation. Hydrating herself, she was able to stand up fully, having her breath calmed down to a normal, steady pace. She only took her lips off the canteen once she realized no more water was coming out of the top.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid I've emptied your canteen. I'm terribly sorry." Susan handed it back over to Kurt who smiled in return.

"Think nothing of it. We have another one...my name is Kurt, and this is my mother Maria. We just arrived by train earlier this morning." He stuck out his hand, which Susan shook.

"Very nice to meet you. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm in a bit of a rush. I'm late, you see, what was it that you needed again?"

"Just looking for a place to stay for the night, or a few days, that's all." Maria said as she took in their surroundings. _I love that you can still see the mountains from here, even on a residential street. _

Susan thought it over in her head for a minute...she lived at a bed and breakfast where she knew rooms would be available. Wasn't it her job to bring business in for her family? Wasn't it just the other day her mother just saying how she was looking for a way to bring people to the inn who weren't from around town? Suddenly, she had a beyond brilliant idea. Susan would take Maria and Kurt back home with her and tell her mother and grandmother they were looking for a place to stay. They would be so thrilled with her for bringing in new business! Maybe she'd be able to sleep in a few days next week as a reward! She couldn't contain her excitement!

"As it turns out I happen to live at a bed and breakfast and would love for you to come home with me!" She stood beaming, waiting for a reply.

"What exactly is a bed and breakfast? We're not familiar with the term I'm afraid."

Susan looked at Maria's frowning face, unaware of where she was from, but obviously somewhere far away.

"It's like an inn, a place to stay for vacation, you know? You can stay as long as you like and each morning we prepare breakfast for you...what do you say?"

Kurt looked at his mother for the go-ahead. Maria shrugged her shoulders in reply back at her son. "Why not? Sounds like a perfect idea."

"Oh really? That's wonderful! But we better hurry I'm so late - it's just up the street on the right."

The trio briskly made the minute walk toward the inn and arrived at a gorgeous three story Victorian style house with a beautiful silver fountain in a small courtyard on the front lawn. Susan led them through the driveway to a side door that opened from a small porch. There wasn't anybody around as far as they could see. Maria and Kurt followed their new friend into the house and were in awe as they looked around.

They stepped into a very elegantly decorated room that doubled as the dining room and sitting area. To their immediate left was a baby grand piano that served as a desk where a guestbook was propped up with happy comments from past guests. Beyond that was the dining table, able to accommodate up to eight people at a time. Several windows were behind the table overlooking the front yard and next to it was a wall length bookshelf stocked with thousands of classics. On their right was the sitting area, with the furniture facing the enormous fireplace and wooden mantel. There were two medium sized couches on either end of the walls and two chairs set up perpendicular to them facing the fire. A few assorted tables were scattered amongst the living room furniture and the walls were ornately done with wooden panels throughout the room. Susan left Maria and Kurt and walked straight ahead into what must have been the kitchen, Maria assumed, for as Susan opened the swinging door into the adjacent room, she got a peak at two ovens on the farthest wall. She and Kurt were only alone for a moment when two women walked in from the far side of the dining room. One looked to be about Maria's age and held a full basket of laundry. She was slender with wavy brown hair tied loosely half-up and wore a very pretty blue floral short sleeved dress. The other woman was obviously the first one's mother. She mirrored her daughter's looks, but her age was visible and she wore her salt and pepper hair back in a bun. Her dress was a green and white checkered pattern and she was holding a bucket of cleaning supplies in one of her hands. The mother and daughter duo looked at each other and then the strangers standing in their foyer. They were just about to greet them when Susan came barreling back into the room.

"Oh there you two are! Mom, grandma, this is Maria and her son Kurt. I met them in town today. They're looking for a room." Susan beamed at her mother and grandmother, proud of herself for bringing in potential guests. Her mother, however, didn't look as pleased.

"My name is Claire Winter, how do you both do?" Claire walked across the room to introduce herself to Maria and Kurt. "And this is my mother Eloise. She, Susan, and I live here and run the inn together."

"Very nice to meet you both. My name's Maria and this is my son, Kurt." Soon everybody had shaken each other's hands and were all acquainted.

Claire broke the awkward silence that followed the introductions.

"Now how long exactly would you need the room for? I'm afraid we only have one available right now so you'd both be sharing."

"Oh that's fine, no trouble at all. Kurt and I are used to small living quarters anyway." Maria's reply was a bit vague and open-ended, but Claire didn't press her for an explanation.

"You do realize this is a bit unorthodox. What with it being summer and all. Our rooms are usually booked months in advance, but as I said we have the one room open. It runs for $75 a night."

Maria and Kurt looked at each other again. Kurt's face fell. They had the money, but just enough for the one night, and even paying for that would deplete their savings. They'd be broke and homeless again in the morning. Ever the personable one, Maria broke the silence one more, realizing they'd met a dead end.

"That's very kind of you to offer it to us especially at such short notice, but we'd really only be a bother to you all. Perhaps some other time, we should probably be going now and let you get back to tending to your inn."

Kurt took that as a sign for them to leave so he picked up his bags, ready to head for the door.

Silently watching from her original spot, Eloise had been quietly sizing up the strangers in her house. She was looking them up and down and noticed how their clothes were a bit worn, clean and presentable, but still noticeably older. The woman's hands clearly were made for hard labor and looked as if she was a solid worker. And the boy was a strapping lad, stood straight at attention almost as if he were a soldier. She could detect their disappointment when Claire told them of the price for the room. She also could see the sadness in her granddaughter's face when Maria and Kurt turned to go.

"Wait just a minute there." Eloise walked across the room as her daughter looked over at her.

"You two aren't from around here, are you?"

Kurt sheepishly looked down and shook his head back and forth. Maria did the same.

"I could tell that just by looking at you. Where are you both from?"

"Austria." Was the joint reply.

All three of the Winters seemed a bit shocked at the answer and even a bit impressed.

"Well, then you're a long ways away from home, now aren't you both? What are you doing here in Durham?"

"If I may say so, ma'am. Kurt and I have been through a great deal the past few years and if you wouldn't mind, don't feel it too prudent to go into all that now."

Eloise heard the despair and heartache in Maria's voice. She happened to glance down at her hands again, this time to notice a wedding band on her right ring finger. _Something must have happened to this woman's husband. They must be on the run from someone or something. _Eloise looked back to Maria's face and gave her a kind smile.

"Why don't you two wait right there for a second. Excuse us if you will." Eloise motioned for Claire to follow her into the kitchen. Susan went with them even though she hadn't been asked.

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Kurt looked into his mother's eyes with worry.

"I'm not sure, but I have an uneasy feeling about this."

Maria and Kurt stood by the door for ten minutes or so until the Winter ladies reappeared from the kitchen. When they reentered the room, though, it was evident that there had been a shift in power from Claire to Eloise. Susan stood in the doorway with her mother, Claire's arms crossed over her chest, with her eyes narrowed looking at Maria and Kurt.

Eloise approached the duo again. "We've talked it over and think we can strike up a deal. You see we'll be emptied out come noon time tomorrow and that means all twelve of our rooms will need to be turned for check in come four o'clock. We're willing to forfeit one of those rooms to you two, free of charge. But, you'll have to work for your stay. You'll be required to help out with the chores and do anything else that needs tending to. Willing to offer this as a trial basis for the week. If it turns out you're good workers and don't stir up any trouble, you'll be able to stay come next weekend, if not, you're back out on your own...what do you say?"

Kurt looked at Maria, who in turn looked over at Claire. She didn't seem to be entirely thrilled at the prospect of two strangers living in her home.

As if she was reading Maria's thoughts, Claire suddenly spoke up. "I'm not too keen on the idea, but my mother apparently has taken a liking to the two of you so it's out of my hands since she holds the rights to the deed. You do anything to break her trust and you'll be sorry."

Kurt gulped, perhaps rather too loudly, and Maria turned toward him with a scolding look.

"If you're sure this is agreeable to all of you, then we'd like to take on the challenge of working for you for a week."

Eloise extended her hand towards Maria's, which she happily took.

"Good, it's a deal then. As I said, a trial basis. Now you both look like you're in need of freshening up a bit, Susan will show you to you room where you can put your things. - Room 4 Susan. After you're settled come down to the kitchen and we'll put you to work." Eloise said the last part over her shoulder as she picked up her cleaning bucket and left the room.

Susan motioned for Kurt and Maria to follow her to the far end of the room where her mother and grandmother originally entered just moments before. The whole time this transpired, Claire never took her eyes off the Von Trapps - her gaze still narrowed and unsure of what had just happened.

* I mimicked the inn where they're staying after a real Bed and Breakfast I've stayed at in New Hampshire. So the images are pretty vivid in my mind, I hope you're able to get a good sense of what the house looks like too. And I took a shot in the dark with the $75/day rate, figured it was about right with the way things were economically in the 1940s. New Hampshire will bring lots of surprises and heartaches just as Europe and New York did so be prepared! Review at your leisure and I promise to have an update soon! *


	20. Tempers Fly

"Don't mind my mother, she's just very protective that's all."

Susan guided Kurt and Maria down the hall to the staircase. Room 4 was on the second floor. As they got to the stairs they noticed a door at the bottom was a brass number one on it.

"How come there's only one room at the first floor?" Kurt turned to Susan with a puzzled look.

"Oh that's where we live. It's kinda of a suite with multiple bedrooms, a bathroom, and a little sitting area. Just for us. Come on up this way."

She led them to the top of the stairs. There were six rooms on the second floor and another six on the third, so technically there were thirteen rooms in total if you counted the Winters' suite.

The banister ran around in a square the length of the floor, leading to the staircase that would go up to the remaining six rooms. Room 4 was at the top of the second floor to the right. Susan inserted the key her grandmother had given her into the door's lock and swung the door open. She stood to the side to allow Maria and Kurt to go in and have a look first. Inside their room was a beautiful, peaceful looking space.

"I think grandma knew what she was doing when she gave you this room," Susan said as she handed the key over to Maria with a twinkle in her eye. "I'll leave you to get settled then. But I wouldn't take too long." She turned and walked back down the stairs.

Inside, the room was decorated and covered with images all depicting mountains. There was a gorgeous painting of the town of Durham from an aerial view with the New Hampshire Mountains in the background. It was simply breathtaking. Tears welled up in Maria's eyes at Eloise's inadvertent kindness.

To the left of the door was a small sink and wash area complete with a large mirror and small medicine cabinet. Immediately next to the sink was a door that led to another tiny room where the toilet and a grande looking white porcelain claw foot tub were. To the right of the bedroom door was a small chest of drawers next to a decently sized closet that would be too big for the little clothing Maria and Kurt each had. Straight ahead was a full sized bed, supported on a white iron bed frame. It was made with deep blue sheets and matching comforter. There were night stands on either side of the bed with matching light blue lamps. Around the slight corner to the left was a small settee with a very comfortable looking throw draped over it.

"So what do you think, huh?" Kurt said with a deep exhale of relief. How very fortunate he and his mother had been. First in New York literally bumping into Regina on the street and now having almost duplicated that experience with Susan and her family in New Hampshire.

"It's a very lovely room. I like how the window next to the bed overlooks the street with the mountains in the distance." Maria made her way over to one of the windows and looked out with a hopeful look in her eyes. It was almost as if she could feel Georg's presence now that she had some scenery to look at.

Kurt walked over to her. "Well since we're being put to work straight away it doesn't look like we'll be making it out on the mountain any time soon...I'm sorry, mother."

Maria turned to face her son with a smile. "Somehow I think I'll manage. Just being out in the country again has put a new spring in my step. Come on now, lets put our things away and head downstairs. What side of the bed do you want?"

They unpacked rapidly and made it down to the kitchen to receive their orders for chores. Maria was to get busy with the rest of the wash Claire had started; Claire was now on to the biscuit dough Susan had been thinking of earlier. Susan and Eloise were busy finishing off the morning's dishes and Kurt was to get busy stripping the beds.

Once those chores were all done, it was near supper time. Claire had finished with the dough and put it to rise in the refrigerator and swiftly transitioned to making dinner: a summery tomato salad fresh from the garden, fried pork chops, potato salad, and corn on the cob, it was a true feast. After everybody washed up, all five of them sat down to eat. Maria was grateful when she saw Eloise take Susan and Claire's hands in hers as she said the blessing, so she and Kurt did the same and held on during the prayer as well.

"Lord, please make us grateful and appreciative for the feast we are about to eat and please make us mindful of those who have none when we have so much. Amen."

"Amen," was chorused by the remaining four people sitting at the table.

It was silent except of the sound of silverware clanking about and mouths full of food. Finally it was Claire who broke the silence.

"All right, I'll be the one to start in then." Maria looked up a bit apprehensive as to what Claire was about to say. "It's obvious you're not from around here, why you're not even Americans. But what I want to know is what exactly you meant by that comment out in the living room before."

"Claire please, these are our guests. They're not criminals, there's no need to interrogate them." Eloise reprimanded her daughter.

"No, mother, I think they owe some kind of explanation. If they're going to be staying with us for an extended period of time I'd like to know about them."

"What would you like to know, Claire. Ask us anything and Kurt and I will be more than happy to answer truthfully."

"Ok, fine that seems fair. For starters, what's your last name and why did you leave Austria?"

Kurt put his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He fielded the first question. "Out last name is Von Trapp. It will be three years this fall that we left Austria, chased away is more like it actually."

Claire gave a questionable look, but didn't interrupt so Kurt continued.

"My father, Captain Georg Von Trapp, was somewhat of a naval hero in the first World War when Austria was still the Austro-Hungary Empire. He was a very respected and decorated soldier and very well known in our town of Salzburg in Austria. When the forces of the Nazi order of the Third Reich took over our country, my father was cornered into accepting a commission with them. However, he greatly opposed everything for which they stood. So he and mother decided it'd be best for all of us if we fled, that way no one would be hurt...we were wrong."

By now, Kurt had stopped talking and it was apparent he was having a hard time voicing the next set of events from three years ago so Maria jumped in.

"The night we attempted to leave Austria we were met at out front gate by the Nazis. Georg tried to reason with them, but it was no use. We eventually had to use a prestigious singing festival as our cover of why we were all traveling so late at night. So the whole family was driven to the festival where we sang, then sneaked out when our turn was over. We tried seeking refuge in the abbey nearby but we were discovered by the Nazis. Our family was separated, I was knocked unconscious and when I woke up Kurt was holding me, as clueless as I as to where the rest of our family had gone. So now it's almost three years later, and he and I have traveled through Switzerland, into France, to New York, finally to here, hoping - praying the others are still alive somewhere."

Susan looked at her mother, Claire's mouth was hanging open, her turn to be awestruck, and Eloise had started crying. She composed herself when Maria stopped speaking.

"Just how many people are in your family, dear?"

"Counting Kurt and myself there are nine."

"Nine?" All three Winters said in unison.

"Yes. Georg and myself and our seven children. Liesl, Freidrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl."

"My word my dear, you must have been a baby when you started having them all!"

"Well actually, mother is my stepmother, technically. She and father had just been married before this whole thing got started."

Claire looked over at Maria, "Stepmother? So that means none of the children are yours biologically?"

"Correct. Georg had all seven with his first wife, Agathe. He and I will have been married three years this September." Maria absentmindedly rotated the ring on her finger, thinking of her wedding day.

Susan had gone back to her plate, but kept stealing glances at Kurt out of the corner of her eye. Eloise was stunned. Claire, on the other hand, wasn't satisfied. She wasn't completely sold on Maria and Kurt's story just yet. She pressed them for more answers.

"So how did you and your husband meet then exactly?"

"Well...it's a rather complicated story."

"I have plenty of time."

"I was sent by the Mother Abbess from the convent to be the Von Trapp children's governess for that summer."

"Mother Abbess? Governess?"

"You see I told you it was a messy situation - at first. I was a postulate at the abbey, almost ready to take my final vows to become a nun -"

"Nun?" By now, the conversation had shifted so it was just Maria and Claire speaking to each other. Claire rapid firing questions, Maria answering trying to go uninterrupted, and the others looking on nervously.

"That's right, I had lived at the abbey for quite some time preparing for a life as a nun full of prayer and servitude when I was summoned to go out into the world for a short time to live with the Von Trapps. The thing I probably should have said before was that I wasn't a very good nun at all. I was messing up all the time, arriving late for prayers, singing in the hallways, dirtying my habit when I'd sneak out to climb trees and go out over the mountains...it would have never worked had I been a nun after all."

"Well that's certainly not an opening line of a story you hear everyday. Go on."

"I became the governess for the children and eventually won them over. I adored them and loved every minute the eight of us spent together. Georg had been so devastated by his first wife's death that he commanded his house like one of his naval ships, ordering everyone with commands, summoning them with whistles. He even had the children marching and wearing sailor uniforms! It was out of control. I spent the summer months there and it got to a point where I started having feelings for him, feelings I'd never had for anybody before and I realized I was in love with him. I tried pushing those thoughts away, knowing my purpose was to be a guide for the children, but then Baroness Schrader said it was obvious Georg loved me too and I -"

"Wait, I'm sorry, Baroness who said what?" By now Claire was on the verge of total confusion and utter annoyance. How dare this woman come into her home and spin such a web of lies! Kurt was catching onto Claire's sudden feelings of disgust with his mother and he sat there, ready to jump to Maria's defense.

"Yes, Baroness Schrader. Georg was a very well known aristocrat as Kurt said. The Baroness was a woman from Vienna whom he was courting and someone I assumed he'd want to marry eventually to provide a new mother for the children. Well she must have seen me as a threat because she slyly suggested Georg and I were in love, which frightened me away back to the abbey where I sought out solace from the Reverend Mother, who prompted me to return and confess my feelings. But when I went back he and the Baroness had announced their engagement so I felt all hope was lost. I knew I'd never be a nun nor his wife. But Georg was still in love with me, so he broke things off with the Baroness and confessed his love for me, I likewise for him in return, and nearly two months later we were married."

Maria realized how fast she had begun speaking and was slightly out of breath as she came to the end of her story. Eloise had fresh tears in her eyes. Susan looked unsure if she was to be crying like her grandmother or unimpressed as her mother sat. Claire had had enough. She didn't care what kind of work Maria and Kurt did this next week, by the following weekend they were gone. She'd let them stay to appease her mother, but after that she was throwing them out. Did Maria really expect her to believe all this nonsense?

"So, Maria, you mean to tell me you were on the verge of becoming a nun, almost broke your promise to God, fell in love with a betrothed man, denounced your claim to God as a potential sister, broke up a man from his fiance, married him, and are now searching for him with his youngest son...did I get all of that correctly?" Claire sat across the table with daggers in her eyes, mocking her story.

On the other side, Maria looked as if she had just been stabbed with a dagger. Claire's words struck through her like someone had jabbed an enormous icicle into her chest.

"Well when you say it all like that it sounds terribly bad but you see -"

"No I think I see pretty clearly. You're some kind of compulsive lying floozy who's going around trying to scam innocent people. I bet Kurt isn't even really your son. He's probably your accomplice, what do you steal from the inns after you con the nice little old ladies like my mother into letting you stay there?"

Claire had stood up from the table, consumed with hatred for the woman across from her. Maria stood up to face her, but had tears streaming down her cheeks. She felt so judged and ashamed. Her love for Georg was wholesome and completely sincere. And now this other woman was making her out to be some kind of awful person. Kurt felt it was time for him to say something.

"Now listen here! How dare you speak to my mother like that! You have no idea what she and I have gone through in three years and you certainly have no idea what the hell she's gone through before she entered the abbey as a child. How dare you judge her and sit there as if she and I were some kind of low life criminals. Are you so perfect?"

"Young man, this is not your place. Hold your tongue or I shall throw you both out this instant!"

"You will do no such thing, Claire!" Eloise stood up now, joining in on the argument.

"Mother sit down, I will handle this."

"You would be morally remiss to simply cast off a woman so kind and pure of heart as my mother. She saved my entire family and made us whole again, she is a terrific person...what kind of person are you? Hhmm? What good have you ever done?"

"We're not here to discuss my private life - your mother is the one who's on trial here!"

"On trial! You don't even know her and you're quick to condemn her for nothing!"

Maria kept trying to get a word in but between Claire who was on a roll throwing out every insult she could think of, and Kurt jumping in to her defense, she couldn't get a word in edgewise. Poor Susan was still seated, eyes darting back and forth as if she were watching a tennis match. Finally Maria was able to speak.

"Enough - enough! I think you've made your point entirely clear here, Claire. Thank you for the opportunity, but I'll go and pack and we'll be out of here very, very soon." She threw down her napkin and raced upstairs, sobbing the whole way.

Kurt turned to face Claire, his face on fire he was so consumed with rage. "I hope you're happy with what you've done. Today was the first day in months I'd gotten her to smile and feel happy and you just went and destroyed that in a matter of minutes." He threw his napkin down likewise and knocked over his chair as he chased his mother upstairs, leaving Claire, Susan, and Eloise completely dumbfounded.

When Kurt got up to the second floor the door was closed, but unlocked. He went in and closed the door behind him only to find Maria sprawled out on the bed, sobbing hysterically into one of the blue covered pillows. It broke his heart to see her in such a state.

Gently, her went and laid down next to her. Maria fought, pushing him away, not wanting to be near anyone at the moment, but Kurt grabbed her flaring arms as the delivered small blows to his chest. Maria eventually gave in and let her son pull her into a hug on the bed and allowed him to hold and comfort her. She cried the hardest she had ever cried, Kurt crying too at the sight of his mother. They sat that way until Eloise came up to check on them an hour later.

When she knocked softly on the door there was no response so she turned the knob and went it. What she saw broke her heart to pieces. Maria lay wrapped in Kurt's arms as he slept beside her, protecting her. Eloise couldn't bring herself to wake them, so she turned off the light and closed the door, leaving them to their slumber.

* With each chapter I write I am falling more and more in love with Kurt. He is going through some major growth and development the next few chapters. Maria's demeanor and spirits change a bit and I'm writing him to off-set that and try to make them a great duo once again. Ideas are flying all in my head about when and how to reunite the Von Trapp family. Suggestions, comments, concerns are always welcome. Please keep reviewing and I promise to keep updating. =) *


	21. Healing Powers of Prayer

Eloise woke up earlier than usual for a Sunday morning. Her alarm wasn't slated to go off for another half hour, but she couldn't fall back to sleep. She gathered her robe and quietly sneaked out of her room on the first floor. Looking up the staircase to the second floor, she wondered how Maria and Kurt were doing so she climbed the stairs and went to their room. When she got to the top of the staircase, she found the door to Room 4 completely open and completely empty.

Maria had woken up just before midnight, glancing at the clock on one of the night stands. Her eyes were a bit puffy from crying and her cheeks hardened from being tear stained. She moved to roll over and sit up, but something was preventing her from doing so. She glanced down and saw that Kurt had fallen asleep with both of his arms wrapped around her, one underneath her back and the other lazily resting across her stomach. Maria wanted to savor the moment, feeling the closest she had ever felt to Kurt before. She didn't know if it was because they were literally snuggled closely together or the fact that he had been so silent and understanding as she lay there sobbing uncontrollably till they both fell asleep. She very gently stirred him, not wanting to make any noise. His eyes fluttered open immediately in alarm.

"What is it? Are you okay?" He rolled over to glance at the clock.

"I'm fine. Come get up, we're leaving." Free from his grasp, Maria stood up and gathered her things. They had never really unpacked anything so all that had to do was grab their bags and silently descend the stairs to the door. Kurt stretched and stood up following his mother's lead. They didn't know what to do with the key to their room, so they left it in the lock of the door and propped the door so it was wide open.

Very carefully they crept down the stairs through the living room to the side door. Maria unlatched the lock and the two were out into the cool night air in a matter of seconds, sliding the door shut in place after them.

After they were a safe distance from the house Kurt turned to his mother and spoke, "Now where to?"

As if on cue, church bells clanged through the night at that very moment. Midnight. Maria turned towards the sound of the chimes and saw a church further down the street. "Let's try that church. Perhaps we can spend the night there."

_Where in the world were they?_ Eloise was perplexed as anything. Here she was, in the early hours of the morning expecting to find her new house help sound asleep in their bed, only to discover they had slipped out in the middle of the night. Why, they had never even slept in the bed it was still perfectly made. They had left no note, no sign of ever having been there at all. She searched through the living room and kitchen, but found no trace of them. Eloise felt sorry, she had truly felt sympathetic for Maria and Kurt and did want to help them out. She knew what it was like to feel such heartache and sense of loneliness. When her husband had died years before, she felt like her world had ended. Had it not been for Claire, Susan, and at the time, Claire's husband Peter, Eloise didn't know what she would had done. They had gone into business together and bought the bed and breakfast. But then Peter received his draft letter and was sent overseas to war...and then another letter came delivered by two army officials, saying he had been killed in duty. So it was true, heartache and despair were no strangers to her family.

After Maria and Kurt rushed out of the kitchen, Eloise was too agitated to eat anything else, so she sat as Susan and Claire silently ate then washed the dishes. Afterwards, they gathered in their small sitting room in their suite to read like usual. Susan was very quiet, but Claire sat staring off into the distance. Eloise could tell she was still very angry, but she knew her daughter. Whenever they had had a fight when she was growing up, Claire would always sulk immediately after, regardless if she was right or wrong. Usually, she'd sit by herself and eventually go to her mother and apologize, but just before that would happen, her face would soften, signaling that she realized what she'd done wrong. It was as if all her anger had drifted away and Claire just wanted to restore peace. That's what she looked like now sitting in their quaint living room. Claire had realized her actions toward Maria and Kurt were wrong, but her damn pride was standing in the way.

Time flew by and Eloise could hear her alarm sounding from the other room. 6:30 a.m. - time to get ready for church at 7 then back to make breakfast for the first round of guests awakening at 8. _Oh well, we've been doing this just us three for a while now, no use in crying over something that never happened in the first place._

The Winters dressed and made their weekly walk down the street to the Church of the Immaculate Conception and were greeted by the pastor, Father Fitzpatrick. He was a lovely Irish-Catholic with wavy brown hair and a gentle smile.

"Good morning, Eloise, Susan, Claire. How are you on this holy day?"

"Good morning father, God bless you." Susan gave the warm greeting and shook the priest's hand. Claire and Eloise did the same before entering church.

Maria and Kurt had been pleasantly surprised to find the doors of the church unlocked when they got there at midnight. They were the only ones in the dimly lit room and quickly nestled down together on one of the hard benches in the church. They drifted off to a dreamless slumber and were woken up by the morning bells. Maria woke up first and left Kurt snoozing as she dropped to her knees on the kneeler and prayed. She stayed like that until people began filing in for seven o'clock mass. She moved to wake up Kurt and he knelt down beside his mother, making it look like they were just ordinary worshippers on a regular Sunday morning.

And that is where Susan, Claire, and Eloise found them as they took their usual spot in one of the middle pews on the left side. Claire was the first to spot them as people weaved in and out, finding seats. They happened to be sitting two rows in front of their pew. Both Maria and Kurt's heads were bowed down in reverence and they stayed like that until the organ sounded the beginning hymn to start mass.

Claire observed their behavior all through mass. She didn't realize she was even staring at them until her mother grabbed her elbow to sit down with the rest of the congregation. She had been caught staring so long she was left standing while the first reading was being recited from the lector.

When it came time for the congregation to voice back their responses in song, Claire swore she heard the most angelic sound coming from two pews ahead. Maria's voice was heavenly as she sang back with all her heart. Kurt, too, had a magnificent singing voice. It felt wondrous sitting and listening to their voices. Susan and Eloise noticed it too.

_Perhaps I was too quick to judge this woman. Lord only knows what she and her son have been through...after all, here I am sitting in God's house, a place where we all will ultimately be judged. Does she deserve a second chance? Am I too late at a chance at forgiveness?_

Little did the trio know, however, was that this was the first time in years the Von Trapps had sung. Maria hadn't liked to sing since her miscarriage. She associated her singing with a different time, a time before she experienced a world of pain, and every time she went to sing, she got a sickening feeling in her stomach that made her remember the baby she was unable to save.

Mass went along normally and it wasn't until the recessional hymn was completed and the people began filing out of their rows that Maria noticed the Winters standing behind her. She stopped in her tracks as Kurt let her pass by him out of their pew. He spotted Claire, Susan, and Eloise at that very moment also and was unsure if he and Maria should walk past them or choose a different way out of church. Oddly enough, Claire waved them over. Very hesitantly, Maria led the way over.

"Good morning ladies." Maria knew that all she wanted was to feel contempt for the way Claire had treated her the night before, but they had all just celebrated mass together, it would have been highly unchristian of her to act in such a vindictive manner.

"Good morning Maria, Kurt. We were worried when we woke up this morning to find you gone. Where did you go off to?" Eloise felt it her duty as the matron of the family to restore peace. She would not let her daughter sway her feelings of kindness and charity towards Maria and Kurt.

"We actually came here and spent the night and felt it only proper to stay for mass when we awoke." Kurt placed a protective hand on his mother's shoulder as spoke.

There was more awkward silences as the number of people left in the church became less and less until the five of them were the only ones standing. Claire took a deep breath and decided it was now or never.

"I'd like to apologize. I should have never said the things I did at dinner last night. I was completely out of line and feel terrible." Her eyes bore into Maria's. Maria said nothing with a blank expression on her face. Claire went on.

"If there's any way I can make it up to you, please let me know. I don't know if it was the mass today or just the fact I'd been feeling so awful for my behavior, but I'd like it very much if you could find it in your hearts to forgive me."

Maria stood silently still. Kurt never took his eyes off of Claire. "You said some pretty nasty things, you know. But none of them were really directed at me. If you're looking for forgiveness my mother's the one who's going to have to grant it...pretty pathetic if you ask me the way it took a simple thing like church to make you realize what a rotten person you can be."

At Kurt's last bold remark, Maria's lips twitched into a smirk. Regardless of the situation she knew she could always count on her son to be there for her. She knew Claire's apology was sincere and by the looks on Susan and Eloise's faces she knew they wanted her to go back to the house with them.

"I accept your apology, Claire. I just hope you can find some way to realize that all I said to you and your mother and daughter was one-hundred percent truth. I made none of it up and I have no regrets for any of my actions. I was fortunate enough to find the love of my life and because of him, I was given seven beautiful children. The way you spoke last night made it seem I had done something incredibly wrong by marrying Georg. I'd like to see your reaction after somebody accuses your marriage to be a mockery."

"I understand, but I am truly sorry for my actions."

"I'm not one to judge or hold grudges believe me, so after today I'll forget it ever happened. Kurt and I will be on our way and your conscience will be cleared." Maria moved to continue on out of the church, but Claire moved to block her path.

"I truly meant every word of my apology. And I know how much it would mean to my mother and Susan if you two were to stay as we originally agreed...and it would mean a lot to me too. You'd be surprised how little time this job leaves for a social life. It would be very nice to have a friend around I could talk with. I'd really like to get to know you if you can find it in your heart to see past my faults."

Maria turned to Kurt to see what he thought of it. He shrugged his shoulders signaling it was her decision whether to keep moving or to follow the other back to Shimmering Fountain. Maria chose the latter of the two options.

"I think that if you're willing to get to know us better the least we can do is keep our end of the agreement and come back to help you three out."

"So you'll stay?"

"Yes, we'll stay."

Claire smiled at Maria's answer. Eloise moved and wrapped an arm around Maria's shoulder and Susan and Kurt exchanged happy smiles. If their mothers were to become friends that meant they would too. The happy quintet exited the church together just as the pastor was reentering after shaking hands with the congregation on the front steps. When he noticed the Winters approaching once more he stopped to bid them farewell for the day.

"Ladies, I hope you enjoyed mass today."

"Very much indeed, father. I especially enjoyed today's homily on being more mindful of our actions towards others who are in need of compassion." Eloise's comments held a double meaning for the day perhaps.

"Why thank you, Elli. And who are your friends?"

"These are our new friends, Maria and Kurt. They'll be helping us out at the inn for a while. They're from Austria."

Father Fitzpatrick shook hands with both Maria and Kurt.

"Welcome, welcome. Austria, huh? Both my parents immigrated from Ireland. I was born here, however, but I know how trying times are over in Europe right now. Tell me what brings you both to America?"

Maria didn't quite know how to answer that question, but lucky for her, Kurt came to her rescue again. "It's a bit of a long story, father, but our family's been separated and we're on a constant search for them all."

"That's very noble of you two. Especially coming to mass, praying for them, praying for their safety and well being. God will provide for you in due time. In the mean time, I have a few decent connections with the pastors in neighboring churches throughout New England, I'll see what I can do to help you."

Maria's face brightened at the prospect of some additional help. "Why that would be fantastic of you. Thank you very much." Kurt nodded in agreement.

"Well it was loving meeting you, nice seeing you again ladies. I must be going before mass starts again at nine o'clock. See you later on in the week."

Father Fitzpatrick walked briskly towards the sacristy as the Von Trapps and Winters made their way to the exit finally.

"He's a real nice guy. We usually have him for dinner a few times a week. You'll be seeing a lot of him." Susan casually made conversation as the five of them made their way back down the street towards the inn. "Mmmm...I just remembered about the biscuits we'll be serving for breakfast. I can't wait to slather mine in lots of butter."

"Finally," said Kurt. "A topic of conversation that's really important." He patted his empty stomach, already able to taste the warm, flaky breakfast treats. He moved ahead a little and began walking in step with Susan; the two casually chatting the rest of the way back.

Together, Claire, Eloise, Susan, Kurt, and Maria all rounded the corner to the side door of the house, ready to start their work day. Susan and Kurt bounded up the small porch into the house with Eloise in tow. Claire and Maria hung back together bringing up the rear. Maria liking the relaxed atmosphere with Claire now they had cleared the air.

"Well," Claire spoke, looking sincerely at Maria. "Welcome home."

* I figured Maria and Kurt needed some kindness, so that's why I didn't let the feud between them and Claire go on too long. Especially after what I have written for the next coming chapters - you're all going to hate me. Please review! *


	22. Fights

The biscuits were sensational...and the waffles...and the pancakes...and they crepes. Elli and Claire taught Maria how to make all sorts of different breakfast foods. And Susan and Kurt didn't mind one bit being her guinea pigs. In fact, they often were left begging for seconds. The guests at the Shimmering Inn Bed and Breakfast weren't complaining either. They loved the new flair in the kitchen Maria brought. Not that she was able to top the culinary skills of all three Winters, but still she had attracted quite a following. She was in charge of making the entire meal on Monday mornings, starting out small. And she had put an Austria twist on the traditional dish of ordinary pancakes. She made regular flapjacks and allowed them to cool, then she injected them with a shot of custard. Sometimes is was regular custard, others it was berry flavored or chocolate. Mondays became known for pancakes.

All the weeks Maria spent toying with recipes and dishes in the kitchen flew by. Seasons were changing once more and autumn was rapidly approaching. There were only a few weeks left of summer. Susan dreaded the thought of school approaching so fast and Kurt was nervous because his mother wanted him to go back to school. He hadn't been in a classroom in over two years. Of course Maria tutored him when they had free time, but not on a consistent basis. So while the leaves began to fall and the nights grew longer, Kurt and Susan relished in every last summer moment.

"Do you think your friends will like me, Sue?" Kurt and Susan were sitting in one of the maple trees in the backyard one crisp evening. He had shown her how to climb to the high branches so they could overlook Durham. Lately they had been spending a lot of time up there together. Just talking, getting to know each other better. Their work schedules keeping the inn in shape left very little time for fun. So they spent the majority of their free time together in their maple tree.

"Oh I'm sure they will just be drawn to you! Especially because of your accent. It's so cute the way you and your mother talk." She giggled to herself.

"Cute? I can assure you there is nothing cute about the way I speak. It's rugged and manly, very Austrian." Kurt puffed out his chest in mock arrogance and Susan tickled him in the side, making him exhale and cause a fit of hysterics.

"All right, uncle uncle!" Susan had won again. Kurt was bigger than she was, but Susan's slender arms allowed her to jab at his sides quickly and she very easily got out of his grip.

The friends sat just being near each other as they watched the sunset together. Susan moved and placed her hand lightly over Kurt's. He didn't do anything to move it away.

-SOM-

"Stop squeezing it - you're going to make it worse!" Susan was worried about Kurt. He had gotten into a fight after the final bell of the day. Some boys in his class were making fun of the way he talked and how nice he was to everybody. They ganged up on him in the school yard. Now, as they walked home together, Kurt was trying his best to stop his nose from bleeding more all over his shirt. Three boys had beaten him up for no apparent reason other than the fact he was different. He was pretty sure his left eye was bruised and he had ruined a brand new shirt his mother had made for him especially for his first day of school.

"It's all right, it doesn't hurt so bad anymore anyway."

"Liar. Your mother is going to be so angry. Just you wait and see. I'd like to see her up against those boys. She'd let them know who's boss."

Kurt laughed at Susan's remark but it hurt when he laughed.

"Stop it, it hurts to laugh. Let's just worry about getting in the house and sneaking upstairs so I can change...and maybe soak this shirt before it gets even more wrecked."

But any chance of that happening was blown to pieces as they made the walk into the house. Maria, Claire, and Elli were all seated in the living room with their feet up, relaxing. They had completely checked out and cleaned the entire house. They were enjoying some afternoon tea and the feeling of accomplishing all their work by supper time.

Claire was the first to notice Susan and Kurt when they walked in and her face fell when she looked at Kurt.

"Kurt, oh my word! What on Earth happened?" Elli and Maria turned to the door at Claire's sudden worried expression. Elli's face grew heavy with concern and Maria rushed to her son's aide.

"Kurt, are you okay? What happened?" Maria was at his side now and tilted his head back to examine his nose.

"I'm fine, mother, really. It's nothing to worry about." He moved to push her hand away, but she refused to budge. By now Elli and Claire joined Maria as they all looked over his face. Kurt caught Susan's eye and gave her a look to try and save him.

"It wasn't his fault. These three boys ganged up on him at the end of the day. They had been teasing him all day long."

Claire looked at Kurt with his head still tilted toward the ceiling. "Is that true?"

He tried nodding in response to her question, but Maria was still holding his head still. Finally she let his head go and stood back to look at her son.

"You promise you had nothing to do to instigate any of this? I'm not accusing you, I just don't want any lies." Maria gave Kurt her sternest motherly look. It must have worked because Kurt looked a little intimidated by it.

"Of course, mother. Would I really start a fight for no apparent reason. They ambushed me at the end of the day and started pushing me around. Then two grabbed hold of me while the other beat me to a pulp. I didn't even have a chance to fight back."

He stood facing Maria, eyes pleading for her to believe him. She stood there for a minute not saying anything.

"But you sure you're all right? Nothing feels like it's broken?"

"Positive. I'm just going to need some ice and maybe several hundred aspirin for the throbbing going on in my head."

"Okay. Why don't you go on upstairs and wash up. Might as well try and put your shirt to soak in the tub, don't know if it's worth saving by now, but we can always turn it into a rag if it doesn't come clean."

Kurt looked down at his blood stained new dress shirt in shame. After all the work Maria had put into it making it for him the night before.

"I'm sorry it got ruined, mother." He started to walk toward the hallway, but turned back with a mischievous grin on his lips. "But if it's any consolation all the girls at school said it was the most beautiful shirt they'd ever laid eyes on." His eyes twinkled with glee as he taunted his mother.

Maria only smirked at her son as he climbed the staircase.

-SOM-

The next afternoon ended the same way as the day before. Maria, Claire, and Elli were lounging on the porch this time, happy to have another whole day of peace. They weren't expecting any guests till the following day so they took the day off as a blessing, knowing they probably wouldn't see another for a long while.

"Oh no not again!" Maria stood up from the porch swing she was sharing with Claire.

Elli was busy knitting in the corner and looked up from her needles. Claire's face was etched with concern again.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. The good news is this time I was able to get a few swings in and let's say the other guys look worse than I do."

Maria frowned at Kurt's reply. "Fighting is no way to solve your problems. Was it the same three?"

Kurt nodded, happy that this time all he suffered was another black eye and a bloody lip. They hadn't gotten near his nose again, thank God.

"Same three, same time of day, same miserable attempt at beating the living snot out of me."

Susan walked up the steps to the porch. "You know who it is, don't you, mom?"

Claire sat silently and kind of shrugged her shoulders at her daughter.

"It's Officer Thompson's son, Eddie and his low life friends."

"Oh brother. That's not good news."

Maria looked worried at Claire. "Why, who is Officer Thompson?"

Claire gave a sharp exhale of her breath and looked at her mother who frowned and went back to her knitting.

"Office Thompson," began Claire. "Is the most unattractive, uncouth man you'll ever meet in your entire life. He's lived here his whole life and we grew up together."

"He always had a thing for Claire, didn't he?" Elli contributed to the conversation without looking up from her yarn. "He was furious when she started going with Peter and then even more livid after they married. Then after Peter died..." Elli looked up and glanced off to the distance.

Claire continued on for her mother, "After my husband died Bill - Officer Thompson - tried to swoop in and court me. He and his wife divorced years ago and he didn't take it took kindly after I rejected him for the millionth time. He's held a grudge against this family because of it, so needless to say he's not our best friend around town."

"Understood completely." Kurt turned toward the door. "I think I'll go soak this shirt too and change up."

-SOM-

The rest of the week went on without any more incidents. Then the following Monday came. Guests were busy leaving and checking in. It was the complete opposite of the week before when Susan and Kurt were greeted by three ladies lounging in the living room. Maria was busy in the kitchen tending to their dinner and making the dough for Tuesday's breakfast. Claire was playing hostess and recommending attractions around the town for several guests, and Elli had taken the car into town to gather some supplies for the week.

So Susan and Kurt gathered their homework and went straight to their maple tree. A light chill was blowing through the air. Kurt took off his light jacket and placed it around Susan's shoulders as they opened their books.

Susan opened her English book, while Kurt started in on some math homework. It was nice being only a grade apart because they could help each other on certain assignments when needed. Susan was busy scribbling in her notebook.

"You're going to have to tell them at dinner you know. If Officer Thompson finds out if was you who beat the tar out of his son and realizes you're staying with us, it's going to get ugly."

"Uuuhhhh...I know. I just don't see why when I throw the first punch it's a big deal. But when that miserable excuse for a man Eddie does, everyone cheers and eggs him on. It's not fair."

He paused and looked up into the afternoon sky.

"I wish Freidrich was here. He'd be able to help me take him."

"More goons fighting with each other isn't going to solve anything."

"No, but you don't know my brother. He's very intelligent. He'd find a way to stop all this nonsense. Plus he's older and bigger than Eddie so if it came to it he could always shut him up with his fists." Kurt gave Susan a crooked smile. She only rolled her eyes at him and gave him a light shove.

"Susan! Kurt! Come on down, time for supper!" Claire yelled up to the trees, knowing the children were up there somewhere.

"Coming, mom!" They threw down their books and climbed down to eat.

At the dinner table, Kurt was quieter than usual, the four girls chatting up a storm. It was Elli who noticed Kurt moving his food around his plate with his fork. Usually by now he'd be on his third helping.

"Everything all right at school today?" She left the question open to both Kurt and Susan, but she was staring next to her at Kurt.

"Fine, grandma."

"Um, yeah, it was just another normal day."

"Nothing happened, hhmm?"

By now Maria and Claire had ended their conversation with each other and both looked to Elli and Kurt.

"Mother if he said everything was fine, then leave the boy alone for God's sake."

Maria was so convinced.

"Something happened, you've barely touched your food. What is it?"

Kurt put his fork down and tried to muster up the courage to say what he knew had to come out. His hands were on his lap, wringing both through the other in anticipation of how his mother would take the news.

"Well not nothing happened exactly today then." He looked up at Maria.

"What does that mean precisely?" Her eyes were now only narrow slats. Silently she was cursing her son, bracing herself, almost knowing what he was going to say.

"You see, thing is, I sort of got into another scuffle today."

"You don't appear to be hurt," Claire stated as she put her glass of water down.

"Well that's because I may or may not have won the fight today..."

"I'm only going to say this once more, Kurt. What does that mean? I want an honest answer out of you." Maria was losing patience.

"Sue and I were almost home, about four streets from here when Eddie and his gang crossed the street near us. He picked up stones from the ground and started pegging them at us. We kept on walking, ignoring them, but then I saw him grab a branch from someone's yard and that's when I turned around hit him, square between the eyes. He hit the ground pretty shaken up and then one of his friends came at Sue so I stepped in front of her. He swung at me, I ducked then socked him in the stomach. The other friend ran away and Sue and I came home."

Maria was angry. Not with her son necessarily, but angry at the fact that it had come to him defending Susan. Angry at the fact that he was being targeted solely because he was a foreigner and because of who he was staying with. Her face softened a bit as she saw Kurt's face grow frightened with worry. She hated being upset with him. And this time he was just trying to walk away from an altercation, he had said so himself. Susan even vouched for him.

"Well I'm not proud of you for hitting that boy again, but Lord knows he had his coming to him after the nasty things he did to you last week."

Kurt's head popped up at his mother's comment and his expression changed grossly.

"Don't give me that look. I'm not condoning fighting, but in this instance you did the right thing. Had it not been for your actions, Susan could have been very seriously hurt."

Claire backed Maria up on that. "Yes, thank you for your bravery on that, Kurt, but your mother's right. Let's not hear any more violent stories now, hhmm?"

"Yes Claire, mother. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Susan gave Kurt a toothy grin and squeezed her hand around his underneath the table.

"Good," Maria replied, satisfied with her parental abilities. "Now everybody eat up because as it turns out, I happened to have made Kurt's favorite dessert for later."

She winked at Kurt, who shoveled down the rest of his dinner as fast as he could. The apple strudel was calling his name and he planned on eating at least two portions of it.

* Sorry for the delay on updating! Trying very hard not to drag out the next few chapters! Doing my best to try for a happy ending to the story, but we'll see. Thanks for all the kind words, reviews please and thanks =) *


	23. Loneliness

Father Jacob Fitzpatrick sat at his desk in the rectory of the Immaculate Conception Church. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the mother and son couple Eloise Winter had introduced to him. Maria and Kurt...something about them was terribly familiar. It had been weeks. He saw them on Sundays at mass, shared meals with them at the Winters' inn, but he felt like he should know them from somewhere. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he was missing something. He felt like he knew them from somewhere...

-SOM-

Kurt was busy chopping wood in the backyard. Autumn had definitely arrived and Kurt was dressed for the season. Maria had found the greatest fabric store in downtown Durham and was spoiling her son and herself rotten with new clothes. It felt nice to be in a place long enough to make outfits appropriate for the season at hand. Even now, Kurt was wearing a brand new flannel jacket his mother had expertly sewn together for him.

Despite the cool air, he was beginning to sweat a bit, so he was forced to take off his jacket. He carefully hung it on one of the fence posts then went back to his work. He got so caught up in a rhythm that he didn't hear his mother approaching with some lemonade.

She patted him on the shoulder just as he was about to bend down for another log.

"Thought you might be a little thirsty." She reached out and handed him the ice cold glass of pink lemonade.

Kurt took it and threw it back all in one gulp. "Thank you," he said as he wiped his mouth with the cuff of his shirt and handed the glass back to his mother.

"You seem to be keeping busy, hhmm?" Maria sat down on the back steps as Kurt resumed his chores.

"Well, with the four of you in the house cleaning and cooking, I figured it'd be nice to be useful too so I came out here. Winter's going to be awfully cold without any fire wood."

He slammed down the axe and split another log. This one was a larger piece that would require him to split it into fourths at least. He set up the pieces, preparing himself for another swing.

"What about you?" SMACK. The axe went right through the log as if it were cutting through butter. "You and Claire appear to be getting along well. Not secretly still at each other's throats now are you?" He looked at his mother with concern in his eye.

"Don't get all nervous on me here. She and I are fine now. Just took a little getting to know each other that's all. I've really grown to adore her."

A police car chose that particular moment to slowly drive down the street. It made a point to slow down to a crawl as it made its way past the house. The officer in the driver's seat looked about to be in his late thirties with a thin mustache. He glared at Maria and Kurt as he passed along. His gaze sent shivers down Maria's spine and she shuddered openly as the car passed.

"What was that all about?"

"That's Claire's _friend_ Officer Thompson. I saw him picking up Eddie from school the other day."

The mere mention of Eddie's name pushed Kurt to pick up his pace. He managed to split another half dozen logs within a minute. When he chopped the final one he was out of breath.

"Something you want to talk about?" Maria looked at her son's face.

"No. I'd tell you if anything was bothering me - honest."

"You're not still being bullied by Eddie and his friends, are you? You can tell me if you are, it's just you haven't come home bloodied lately just making sure he's not in shambles of his own."

Kurt smiled at Maria's lame attempt of a joke.

"Honestly, I told you everything's all right. And what are you still doing out here anyway? Isn't tomorrow the famous pancake breakfast? Shouldn't you be inside prepping?"

He moved and sat down next to Maria, putting his jacket back on for extra warmth.

"I suppose I should be doing that, but I just felt that you and I haven't really talked lately and wanted to be around you for a bit. Is that such a horrible thing? A mother wanting to be by her son?"

"This wouldn't have anything to do with what tomorrow is, now would it?" Kurt looked Maria square in the eyes, but she was looking off far into the distance.

"Tomorrow is just another day, unfortunately. I hope that one day it will mean something again, but sadly I don't see that happening soon."

She diverted her gaze back to Kurt's face and gave him a sad smile. Kurt reached down and gave his mother's hand a squeeze. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on Kurt's and breathed out a sharp, long breath.

The next day was her anniversary. It would be the third year in a row she'd be celebrating it without her husband.

"He's out there somewhere, you know. Feeling just as lonely and saddened as you are. I promise."

"I hope so, Kurt. Not because I want him to be as heartbroken as I still am, but because I want him to be thinking of me in the way I'm thinking of him, especially tomorrow."

Maria lifted her head up, tears threatening to fall. Kurt placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and smiled at her.

"You know he is. He's thinking of you this instant, I'm sure of it. Have faith. What's that you were always saying back in Austria? When the Lord closes a door..."

"...Somewhere he opens a window." Maria finished for him. "I do hope so, Kurt. Because it's felt like that window has either been too high up for me to reach or stuck shut, leaving me fruitless in my vain attempts to pry it open."

Eloise and Claire were in the kitchen cutting vegetables for dinner. The windows were open, letting the crisp fall air waft into the room. They didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it was heartwarming watching as Maria and Kurt shared in such a loving moment. Claire and Eloise caught them doing that a lot lately. Claire smiled to herself, remembering again for what seemed like the millionth time, thinking how wrong she had been that first night to judge these two extraordinary people. As she and her mother were lost in their thoughts, they heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it!" Susan's voice carried from the front hall as she went to answer the door.

"It's Father Fitzpatrick here for dinner!"

Elli motioned for her daughter to call Maria and Kurt inside. "Why don't you go get those two and tell them to come on in and eat?"

"Yes, mother." Claire wiped her hands on her apron and went out back.

"Dinner's ready if you two are hungry...what am I saying, I'm talking to you Kurt." They all laughed as Claire went back in the house leaving Maria and Kurt to a last minute of solitude before they followed her inside.

-SOM-

"Dinner was fabulous, ladies. As usual I am stuffed beyond all indulgence." Father Fitzpatrick patted his full belly. The six of them were gathered in front of a roaring fire, many thanks to Kurt's diligent wood chopping just hours ago.

Father Fitzpatrick was seated at one of the chairs facing the fireplace. Maria and Claire were on the couch on the left, and Elli was on the one on the right. Susan and Kurt were sprawled out on the floor on their stomachs by the fire.

"Kurt, darling, why don't you turn on the radio? Let's have some light music before we all drift off to sleep here."

"Okay Elli." He got up and went to their old Zenith floor model. He fiddled with the dial, getting some static at first, not really knowing what he was supposed to stop on, when he heard a broadcaster with a deep resonating voice mention something that soundly like he was talking about Austria.

Maria must have heard it too because she sat up and instructed her son to go back.

"Wait a moment, go back to that last station." Claire and Elli looked up in interest and Father Fitzpatrick looked on in amusement.

"_And now ladies and gentlemen, for your hearing pleasure we are proud and pleased to welcome you to the European Extension. That's right, it's our tradition of bringing all you Euro-Americans sounds from your homelands every Sunday evening, right here on WKRO. To get us started this evening, I'm going to play you a happy little tune coming straight from Rome, Italy."_

The next sound they all heard was a beautiful aria from an Italian operetta. The female singer's voice was extremely impressive. Maria closed her eyes to appreciate the music. It had been so long since she had heard such a wondrous sound. She was at peace.

The others relaxed at the beautiful music, but weren't as moved by the singing as Maria was. The aria ended and the announcer's voice came back on the radio.

"_And that was a selection from Italy's own Puccini's "Madame Butterfly." Next we have a real treat for you. A recording that was just recently discovered taken from a festival that happens every year in the town of Salzburg Austria. This clip is a special one, for it is of an entire Austrian family singing one of the nation's most beloved songs. It's my pleasure to present to you for the very first time on the European Extension, "Edelweiss" sung by the Family Von Trapp."_

Maria and Kurt locked eyes in sheer awe and astonishment. Susan sat up from the floor and went to sit by her mother, Elli and Claire merely looked at each other in amazement, and Father Fitzpatrick, not ever knowing what Maria and Kurt's last name was, sat a bit confused.

Maria stood up and went to stand by Kurt, who was mesmerized, staring at the radio as the sound of his father's voice started to play. Maria latched onto her son as they stood listening to Georg Von Trapp serenade them.

"What's going on?" By now Father Fitzpatrick was the only one in the room who wasn't crying. Kurt was holding back sobs, but Maria stood rubbing his back as she leaned in and silently wept on his shoulder.

"That's their family, father. This is them singing from the last time they were all together as a family three years ago." Elli explained, but then shushed the pastor, wanting to hear the remainder of the song.

Claire sat, observing the Von Trapps. She didn't think she'd ever see Kurt in such a vulnerable stage, and Maria was beside herself.

Susan sat on the couch, realizing what was happening. She didn't think she'd ever see Kurt cry. He always came off as so brave and grownup. It felt odd watching him cry like a little boy with his mother.

When the song ended, applause could be heard since it was a live recording. Kurt smiled through teary eyes and looked at his mother.

"Happy anniversary." He switched off the radio and they made their way back over to the couch, settling down next to Elli. She pulled Maria into a hug, and ruffled Kurt's hair.

"So that was your family? That was the two of you singing along with them?" Susan was amazed at the talent. Their family was a bunch of extraordinary singers.

Maria simply nodded in response.

Father Fitzpatrick couldn't believe what he had just heard. "That was incredible. I mean it. You both, and your entire family, are extremely gifted."

"Thank you, Father. It's very strange to have heard that, mother and I were just talking about everybody right before dinner. It's very serendipitous."

"Why haven't we heard you sing until now and even now it's through a radio?"

"Well, we sing in church..." Kurt lamely answered, not wanting to give the real answer, looking at his mother quickly before looking back at Father Fitzpatrick.

"Yes well that hardly seems fitting after what we've all just heard what you're capable of."

"Father, I don't mean for this to sound rude, but I beg of you to not press this matter. It's been a while since we've sung publicly. Even then we did it under dangerous circumstances and we simply associate it with a different part of our lives. We're two entirely different people from what you've just heard." Speaking wise beyond his years, Kurt was proud of his explanation and Maria was grateful. With her anniversary the next day, she knew she couldn't handle more interrogations about their past. All she wanted to do was replay that clip of her family singing together over and over again.

"Well since you've asked me so politely then I'll leave the matter be."

"Thank you, Father. That's very noble of you." Maria spoke, a little quietly, but firmly.

"I can't believe we just heard you on the radio. That's so exciting!" Susan couldn't help smiling. It was such a big deal to hear her new friends on the radio - they were famous!

"Yes, Maria, Kurt, you were both wonderful. I'm sure if the rest of your family had just heard that they would have weeped as openly as we all did. You must miss them so much." Claire looked across the couch, sincerity in her voice.

Maria nodded back again. "Everyday. It's harder and more difficult trying to go on without everyone else here. It's been quite the adjustment going from nine to two people."

Claire stared out into the fire. "I know what you mean - I do. First my father passed away just after Susan was born of a stroke, then Peter with the war overseas...it's very hard to see how life can be so fragile, so unexpected."

Maria smiled at her friend, feeling some comfort knowing Claire could empathize with her feelings. They weren't as different as they thought.

"Well regardless of where the rest of your family is right now, I'm sure that you're all they're thinking about, I mean how can they not be?" Father Fitzpatrick looked over to the couch where Maria and Kurt sat with Elli.

"Thank you, Father. That's very kind of you to say." Maria looked off, staring at a random spot on the wall across the room, thinking, praying, desperately hoping that she would see her handsome sea captain soon...Her heart was breaking without him.

* Hope everybody's still enjoying the story! Reviews always welcome =) *


	24. Taken

They started making Sundays with the _European Extension_ a weekly event. Dinner would be packed away and steaming mugs of coffee would be adorning the coffee table before the show could be played over the radio waves. Kurt's fifteenth birthday was set to fall on the next Sunday, and unbeknown to him, Maria and the others were planning on surprising him with a delicious three layered cake to have in the living room that night. They would never get to enjoy that chocolate dessert, however...

-SOM-

Being an unusually slow Sunday afternoon, Kurt found himself inside helping with the cleaning chores. Normally he'd be busy stocking up on firewood or doing odd jobs around the yard. But breakfast had been made for all the guests occupying the rooms and here he was, dusting and polishing the woodwork in the dining and living rooms.

He got to the baby grand piano by the door and stopped as he ran the dust cloth over the worn keys. He looked around to see if anybody was there, seeing he was alone, Kurt sat down at the piano. He carelessly tossed the rag to the floor and began softly stroking the ivory keys. He sat there by himself for a while just playing whatever came into his mind. It was the first time in three years he'd been able to enjoy music. Feeling a little bold all alone, he began to sing along to the melodies he was pounding out.

Maria was walking down the stairs with a fresh basket of laundry in her hands, ready for the wash. She stopped just before reaching the final step as she heard music coming from the living room. Her heart caught in her throat as she realized it was Kurt's voice she was hearing. It sounded so much more mature, warmer; it sounded like Georg's.

Careful not to disturb him, Maria rounded the corner, placed the basket on the floor and walked over to the piano. _Perhaps it's about time I gathered the courage to sing again._ She thought to herself. Since the weeks leading to her miscarriage, she hadn't truly sung anything, and that was over three years ago.

She went over and placed her hands on Kurt's shoulders, causing him to jump in surprise. He abruptly stopped playing and looked up at his mother, almost in shame.

"I'm sorry, I just sort of started playing when I dusted the piano." He moved to get up, but Maria gently pushed him back down to remain seated.

"It's all right. Sounds beautiful. Don't stop." She nodded at his quizzical look. So he continued on playing. At first he stumbled, trying to focus on playing something he knew his mother would know. Without even realizing it, he started playing "The Sound of Music." Before he knew it, he was singing along to the notes and soon Maria joined in. They sounded fantastic together. Maria felt a sense of freedom, suddenly being liberated from long years of despair. Singing made her feel whole again. As they finished the final verse, Kurt looked over at his mother who had closed her eyes as she completed the song. They sat together in silence just relishing the fact that they had bravely conquered their past. Maria and Kurt were just about to speak when the side door burst open - sending half a dozen Durham police officers into the room, led by none other than Officer Thompson.

Hearing the sudden commotion, Elli and Claire raced into the living room, aprons still fastened around their waists from cooking.

"Bill," Claire spoke. "What on Earth is going on here?" Claire looked nervously at her mother, then Maria and Kurt nestled on the piano bench, and finally rested her gaze on the six unhappy looking policemen in her living room.

"Hello, Claire. Nice of you to remember my name." Bill Thompson smirked at Claire, but she stood there speechless. Her gaze, however, said it all. Her face quickly tightened into a look of disgust at the site of him.

Bill cleared his throat and turned his attention to Maria and Kurt. Kurt stood up defensively in front of his mother as Officer Thompson's gaze rested on them.

"Well, no matter anyway. We're not here to bother you and your mother, Claire. We're here on official business regarding these two pathetic excuses of human beings."

"Now you wait just a minute here -" Elli went to interject, but two of the officers moved to stand in her and Claire's way, silencing her.

Kurt spoke up nervously, "What's the matter? We haven't done anything."

Bill approached him, the smirk now washed off his face completely. "We have a number of charges against you and your mother, kid. But we'll settle all that out down at the station." This time he gave a full-on smile, but it was a devilish one, not sincere at all.

As Bill walked toward Kurt and Maria, the remaining two officers followed him, ready to apprehend the Von Trapps.

"We're not going anywhere with you. Tell us what we've done." Kurt's palms were sweating as he backed away from the advancing officers, still trying to keep his mother out of harm's way.

"Oh we'll see about that. And if you don't cooperate, we'll just have to take you both by force. Wouldn't want anything to happen to that pretty mother of yours, now would we."

The other officers snickered at Bill's retort. Kurt was quickly transitioning from scared straight, to completely enraged. He made a small move toward Bill and one of the officers went and grabbed him. The other moved behind Kurt and grabbed Maria by the wrist, jerking her violently from the piano bench.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Kurt tried to reach for his mother, but the officer restraining him gave him a swift punch to the stomach, forcing him to keel over in the officer's arms.

Bill went over to Kurt and grabbed his hair, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"You'll keep your dirty immigrant mouth shut or you'll never see her again, you hear me, son?" He delivered another swift blow to his side, sending him to the floor hard.

"Kurt! No, please stop!" Maria looked on with pleading eyes as the officer holding her tightened his grip.

Bill motioned for the two policemen guarded Elli and Claire to help get Kurt to his feet. He stood up, groaning with pain.

Claire had to do something! She looked over at her mother and Elli raced into the kitchen. She was going to call Father Fitzpatrick for help. Who else were they to turn to?

"Bill, wait, please, I'm sure this can all be sorted out. I know Kurt and your son have had a few scuffles, but you must see reason here. They haven't done anything!" Claire was practically screaming. Bill was only laughing to himself as Maria was dragged out of the room first. Kurt wasn't giving up without a decent fight, despite the odds.

"Let her go!" He fought his way out of the arms of the two officers holding him up, but Bill beat him to Maria and used his night club to deliver another violent blow to his back, sending Kurt sprawling to the floor once again. Bill turned him over and hit him with two quick punches to the face, sending blood shooting down Kurt's eye. Bill stood up and glared at Kurt lying at his feet, "Wanna go for another round, hero?...Get the mother out of here. Put her in my squad car."

Maria was dragged out despite her loud protests, as her son lay unconscious. The other officers picked Kurt up and followed the other men outside, leaving Claire and Bill, toe-to-toe in the living room.

Bill simply stared at Claire and then turned on his heels and left her there alone. Claire stood, helplessly watching the police cars drive away, sirens blaring, as they made off with Maria and Kurt.

* Told you I still had a few story lines that involved some hardship for Maria and Kurt. Don't worry, I promise things will even out eventually. Having a bit of a block as to what happens next so please keep reading and reviewing! The comments are keeping me motivated =) *


	25. Gone

Elli came racing back into the room, only to discover Claire was now by herself.

"They're gone?" She shouted at her daughter who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"Claire, I couldn't get a hold of Father Fitzpatrick. The woman who answered the phone at the rectory said he was out for a while, we have to find him! He's the only one who can help us!"

At that very moment, almost by fate, Elli and Claire saw Father Fitzpatrick walking up the front steps with Susan by his side, the two happily chatting. When they got inside, their happy expressions faded as they saw Claire and Elli.

"Mom, grandma, what's the matter?" Susan looked at the two women in the living room, "Where's Kurt and Maria?" She nervously went to run upstairs to their room when Claire stopped her.

"They're not here hunny," she said with tears trickling down her face.

Obviously confused, Susan looked at her mother with desperation in her eyes, "What do you mean?"

Father Fitzpatrick looked on, worry now etched on his face.

"Yes, Claire. Where are they?"

"The police came and took them, just now. Bill Thompson was with them and they beat Kurt and dragged him and Maria out without as much as an explanation as to why they were here!"

"What?" Father Fitzpatrick didn't mean to shout, but he couldn't contain his emotions. He had taken an obvious liking to the Von Trapps, there was no secret about that. He had been looking after the Winter family ever since Peter died in the war, and when Maria and Kurt moved in with them, he vowed he would do his best to protect the newest addition to their family. He cursed himself at failing...

-SOM-

Kurt tried opening his eyes, but could barely blink them open. His left one was swollen shut, he remembered the blow that sent him to the ground as his hand moved to his face. With his right eye open as a mere slit, he could make out he was in some sort of concrete room. _A cell? Prison? Am I in prison?_

He was in too much pain to move. He was lying on the floor, he doubted if there was even a bed where he was. He didn't care, all he wanted was the pain in his head to stop, he wanted the throbbing to stop. But he did care about his mother. _Oh God - where is she?_

-SOM-

"Nothing." Father Fitzpatrick hung up the phone that hung on the wall of the Winters' kitchen. Claire, Susan, and Elli were all seated at the round kitchen table. Father Fitzpatrick had made calls to the police department, fire department, church, and town hall, but nothing had come up of two prisons being taken into custody. He would keep checking in. It was getting late. They had already miss the _European Extension_ by a few hours and the cake for Kurt's birthday was left untouched on the counter.

The clock chimed, signaling it was midnight. Susan's eyes were beginning to droop closed. Claire was about to suggest they all get some sleep for the night when there was a sharp knock at the kitchen door. They all looked around at each other. Finally, it was Elli who got up and peaked behind the curtain on the window to see who it was.

"It's Maria!" Quickly she unlocked the door and Maria barreled into the room, eyes bloodshot, but other than that, completely unharmed.

"Elli!" She rushed into the older woman's arms and held on tightly, tears threatening to fall. Elli in turn held on just as tightly if not tighter, kicking the door closed with her feet. She ran her hands over Maria's face checking to see is she was injured. Satisfied with her inspection, she ushered Maria to the table.

"What happened?" Are you all right?" The questions coming all at once from the others.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Where's Kurt? Is he here, too?" Maria looked from one face to the next, hoping her son was somewhere at the inn.

"We figured he was with you, you mean you don't know where he is?" Father Fitzpatrick was the first to speak. Maria shook her head back and forth, she didn't know where he was.

"When they dragged me out of here, they put me in a car with three officers and Kurt was put in another with the other three policemen. They took me to the police station and handcuffed me to a chair and left me in a room by myself. Nobody came or went into my room the entire time I sat there. Then finally one man came and unlocked me and brought me here just now. I tried asking him questions, but he didn't say a word, not a single thing. When we got here, he opened the door and made me get out then drove away." Tears were falling rapidly down her cheeks as she looked around the table.

"Why isn't he here? Where the hell is he? He shouldn't be alone - today is his birthday!" By now Maria was hysterical. Elli pulled her into her arms again, trying to settle her down. When it finally looked like she was okay, she'd lapse into another fit of hysterics. Father Fitzpatrick tried talking to her, but he didn't get anything out of her.

After an hour of this happening, he left and went back to the rectory to make some more calls. Elli put Susan to bed, knowing she'd have to be up early for school in the morning. Claire walked Maria up the stairs to bed and laid down with her until she fell asleep.

* Sorry for the short chapter! But I really wanted to make a solid cliffhanger for once, without everything being resolved so quickly. Please keep reading to see if Kurt makes it back soon! The reviews are keeping me going per usual. *


	26. So Much Sadness

A week went by - still nothing. They all had to go back to their usual routines. Susan went to school, asking teachers and classmates daily if they knew anything of Kurt's whereabouts. Eddie Thompson, always looking on, snickering at her.

Claire and Elli tried to go on with running the inn, but even the guests knew something was amiss. They asked for Kurt daily. Wanting to know where he was, why he wasn't around to joke with them and make them smile.

Maria was the worst one of all. She moved like a zombie. Claire and Elli felt it best to keep her in the kitchen and occupied rather than making her deal with the guests. She didn't speak for five days after she got back. She'd simply nod yes or shake her head no in response to any questions asked. She spent all of her free time up in her room. There was no consoling her. She cried uncontrollably randomly throughout the day. The following Sunday arrived and they were all seated in the living room, listening to the radio like usual. A commercial for the _European Extension _played and Maria abruptly got up and raced out of the room. Claire looked at her mother, unable to really say anything, but Elli knew. They were all distraught.

Father Fitzpatrick held steadfast to his word. He walked around town every morning after mass, searching for any sign of Kurt. He asked around at all the local shops. Made regular visits to the police station, but the officers always refused him entrance. He knew Kurt was being hidden somewhere within those walls. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

-SOM-

Maria knelt down as she blessed herself by the entrance of the pew. She crossed herself then slid inside to sit down on the cool wood. She was the only one in the church. She had decided to make a visit for some prayer and reflection. When she was preparing to become a nun she would offer up even her tiniest doubts and worries to God. She'd spend countless hours in the chapel of the abbey, searching for guidance and answers to her prayers. It had lead her to Georg and the children - her family.

Now, kneeling down in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Maria felt foolish for not coming to church sooner. She felt ashamed for not staying so dedicated to her faith. It had been difficult when she and Kurt were constantly on the move back in Europe. But it was going on almost an entire year being in America, and she couldn't remember the last time she had been to a church when a mass wasn't going on.

The rosary beads she unravelled from her pocket made a clinking sound as she untangled them. She gave the small crucifix a gentle kiss then began to pray. As she murmured the words of the rosary, she thought of all the sisters back at the abbey. How she hoped they were all safe. She prayed for them. The reverend mother's face popped into her mind and she smiled at the image. She prayed for her, for all the wisdom she had imparted upon Maria. She got to the final part of her first rosary and thought of Georg and the children. She offered up silent prayers for all of them, wishing they were safely together. And lastly she offered up prayers for herself and Kurt. She gripped onto the beads as hard as she could when she prayed for her lost son. She prayed for forgiveness that she would be absolved for letting him be taken from her. She prayed for help on finding him. And she prayed as hard as she possibly could that he was safe and unharmed.

Maria looked up toward the front of the church as her fingers delicately grazed the last bead. Her neck was sore from being bent over for so long. She had said two dozen rosaries and felt it was time to head home. She stood up and gathered her coat, and genuflected as she exited her pew. Maria crossed herself one final time, then turned to leave. She would be back tomorrow.

* Sorry for another short chapter! But the next few are fantastic if I do say so myself - keep on reading! Heading for a mini-vacation for the rest of the week so probably won't get a chance to update till later in the week, but stay faithful =) *


	27. Beatings

His face hit the concrete floor hard. There was blood pouring from his nose, mouth, and various gashes above his eyes. Kurt Von Trapp was in immense pain. He counted thirteen days had passed, judging by the small crack of light that was visible to him under the door at the top of the stairs. From what he gathered, he had to be in a basement of sorts. The lights always stayed off except for the hourly beating he got once a day. His captors would descend into the room, take turns wailing on him, then climb the stairs, slamming the door, leaving Kurt in waves of consciousness and unconsciousness until they returned again. He wasn't fed regularly, but he was always given a jug of water before each beating.

When he could, Kurt cried out in pain. His stomach felt like it was caving in on itself. His face throbbed. And he was pretty sure the blood never stopped coming. And all the while, his captors yelled and taunted him led by none other than Officer Thompson. He was the ring leader. He usually delivered the first and last punches, solidifying his authoritative presence. Kurt hated him. What he'd give to retaliate with a few swings of his own.

Bill Thompson crouched down to Kurt's level on the floor. His shirt sleeves were rolled up. Tonight he was by himself, but normally there would be at least two other officers helping him out.

"Boy you immigrants just won't ever learn will you? Hhmm? You listening to me, son? Hey! I'm talking to you!" He jerked Kurt's head up so they were facing each other.

"Now you listen here. Do you know why I got you here? Why this has been happening to you all these days?"

Kurt very carefully shook his head back and forth. Bill lowered his fists, creating a chance for Kurt to possibly fight back.

"This here is America. And well, quite frankly, you're not an American. You foreigners think just because your countries are in such states of turmoil, why the hell should we stay there? Let's all get up and move to America and cause trouble over there!"

Kurt's breathing was calming to an even pace and Bill was now circling about as he went on his own tirade. Kurt felt so bold as to sit back on his feet as he knelt on the floor, listening, waiting for the opportune moment when he would strike back.

Bill stopped in front of Kurt as he continued on. Again, kneeling down to his level.

"And then you come into my town. MY town, and you think it'd be a good idea to tangle with my son? You really think that by messing with my boy you're gonna get anywhere? No sir, no one threatens my family!"

Bill delivered a towering punch straight to Kurt's stomach. Sending him onto his back clutching his middle in obvious pain. Bill stood up fully, shaking out his fist.

"That'll teach you to start something with me."

He turned to walk away and Kurt took that as his chance. He lunged at the back of his knees and brought Bill to the floor. He barely had any time to react. Kurt's fists rained down on Bill in a furry. But Bill wasn't going down just yet. He threw Kurt off and was quickly on his feet. Kurt tried to move out of the way, but Bill was too fast. He grabbed Kurt by the back of the neck and dragged him to the pole in the center of the room. He delivered hit after hit till finally Kurt flopped over in defeat. Bill took the handcuffs from his belt and secured them on Kurt's wrists as he wrapped his arms around the pole, leaving him helpless with nowhere to run.

Kurt came to and wearily glanced upward at his assailant. Bill stared deep into Kurt's eyes, breathing hard, a small line of blood going from his lips trickling down to his chin.

"You know it's a shame you've been down here all this time...means you weren't able to hear how much your mother cried out for you while we beat her."

Kurt tried to lurch forward, but was restrained by the handcuffs. He grunted out in pain.

"You better not have touched her! You hear me!"

Bill stood there with a dark smirk on his face. Knowing that Maria had never been harmed, but Kurt didn't know that. No, he'd have some more fun with this.

"Too bad you're here, 'cuz that means nobody's at the great and wondrous Shimmering Fountain Bed and Breakfast to defend and protect your mother and the Winter family. I'd hate to see something bad happen to all of them." He broke out into a devilish grin.

Kurt still struggled, powerless, unable to do anything. Bill turned on his heels and began the walk up the stairs. Half way up, he glanced back over his shoulder.

"You know, maybe I'll do you a favor and leave the light on for the night. That way you can know exactly when you'll be seeing me next." He strolled up the stairs leaving Kurt alone once more.

"You leave them alone - you hear me! Stay away from my mother!"

He shouted and screamed till he had worked himself up and then he cried. He cried as hard as he could, not knowing if he'd ever make it back to his mother alive. It had been thirteen days, he knew that. Thirteen days and Bill Thompson and the others hadn't said a word why they brought him in the first place.

Kurt didn't know that he was being held against his will because Bill hated immigrants. He didn't know he was being kept from his mother because Bill refused to see that his son, Eddie, had done any wrong by beating on Kurt as he had been doing for the past weeks. Kurt cried himself to sleep that night kneeling, head hanging over his chest, the glow of the lights not bothering him one bit.

* Thank you all my faithful readers! Sorry for the delay, but as promised I'm back with fresh chapters ready for reviewing! Please continue reading and I promise to continue writing. I apologize for the nature of the past few chapters, but the title of this story is "Journeys" and life's journeys are never 100% happy, so please keep that in mind as you read along. *


	28. His Return

Maria, Claire, Susan, and Elli were busy in the kitchen that second Sunday morning. Church had come and gone and they were back at their chores. Father Fitzpatrick had made a point to ask his congregation to pray for the safe return of Kurt every day at mass since he disappeared. It was now day fourteen and still no sign of him.

It was a cold fall day. Hail had begun to rain down from the sky. Frigid temperatures and horrible winds threw away any desire to leave the house. The guests who checked out that day did so warily as they stepped outside. And the few who were scheduled to check in called and cancelled because of the storm, leaving only two rooms occupied for the evening.

All four women completed their work for the day with gusto and settled down to relax together in the living room. But Maria couldn't bear the uncomfortable silence any longer and retired to her room, skipping dinner to sleep, leaving Susan with her mother and grandmother for the remainder of the day.

-SOM-

The kettle gave a shrill whistle, signaling the water was ready. Maria took it off the stove and poured the hot water into her mug, wrapping her hands around the steaming cup. It was just after two a.m. Since she missed dinner she sneaked down into the kitchen for a snack and a cup of tea. She tried to be quiet, but Elli and Claire must have heard her and soon joined her for some tea themselves.

Seated around the table, all three ladies were silent. Elli kept looking at Maria, trying to catch her eye, but was unsuccessful. Claire couldn't tear her gaze away from her mug, she didn't know what to say. She had never experienced the pain Maria was going through; she had no way to relate. What was she to say to her? Finally, Maria looked at the two of them sitting across from her.

"It's been exactly two weeks from today. Did you know that?"

Neither Claire nor Elli said anything. Maria continued on talking and they took this as a sign of progress. She hadn't really spoken much since it had happened.

"I keep trying to fool myself thinking that if I go to the church every day and pray, truly devote my thoughts, then he'll be back. God will bring my son back and all will be well again...but it's been fourteen days and still nothing. What more can I do?"

Maria weakly looked across the table and then readjusted her gaze back down to her hands, still wrapped around her tea. Elli was about to offer some words of comfort when the bell on the front door rang. Not wanting to disturb their sleeping guests and Susan, Elli jumped up and went for the door. She was gone for no more than a moment when she reappeared, looking flustered.

"I think you both better come with me." Concerned at her mother's sudden change of mood, Claire immediately sprung to her feet and followed, Maria likewise did the same, but lingered back a bit.

When they got to the front hall, the door was wide open and standing there was Father Fitzpatrick. The weather was still brutal out, but it appeared to only be raining for the moment. Elli was back at the door standing near Father Fitzpatrick. Claire was off to the left side of the door frame, motioning for the priest to enter. Maria stood a bit further back in the hall, leaning against the banister of the staircase.

"I apologize tremendously for intruding upon you all at such an early hour, but I had a feeling you'd forgive me after this." He disappeared out of eyesight and then came back into the frame, looking a bit cheerful. This time he came into the house, but looked back over his shoulder.

"Well come on then, it's all right." Father Fitzpatrick stood off to the side by Claire, as he signaled to the phantom person who followed in slowly behind him.

The mysterious person was Kurt.

* Apologies for such a short chapter but I didn't want to inundate you all with the details right away! They will come up though, not to worry =) Comments have been fantastic per usual - keep them coming! I want to hit the 50 mark before the end! Thanks for all the reviews! *


	29. Safe

Kurt stood there, dripping wet from the storm, clothes bloodied and battered from all he had been through. As his eyes adjusted to the light in the house he frantically searched for his mother. At the same time, Maria stood up straight off of the banister and moved toward her son. She disregarded the tears and sobs and walked toward Kurt.

Having seen her, Kurt's eyes welled with tears too and briskly moved toward his mother. He wrapped his arms around her, she doing the same to him, and rested his head on her shoulder. He turned and buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried his heart out. Maria's arms never loosened from her son's back as she sobbed into his hair. She didn't want to let go. She wouldn't let go.

Claire stood at the door, tears cascading down her cheeks as she glanced across the foyer at her mother. Elli was full out sobbing, hands covering her mouth as she looked on in wonder. Father Fitzpatrick had stood true to his word. He had reunited their broken family.

Kurt was the first to break apart and brought his hands to Maria's face.

"You're okay? They - they didn't hurt you? He said they did, he said that they did awful things to you, and I tried to stop him, but there were just too many of them." He collapsed into his mother's arms once more and Maria closed her eyes as she shared an embrace with her son.

"They locked me up that first day but then brought me right back here," she said through waterfalls of tears. "I had no way of knowing if you were okay or if they had done something to you. I've been worried sick the past two weeks...thank God you're here. Thank God you're all right." She opened her eyes and drew Kurt back to look him over. When she had visually inspected him to her likening, the two hugged again, cradling each other, holding each other up, not wanting to let the other go for fear of losing them again. They were interrupted by Father Fitzpatrick making his leave.

"Well I best be on my way then." He smiled at everyone and when Maria moved toward him to thank him for all he had done, he simply waved her off.

"You stay there with your son. Embrace him. Nurture him. He needs you now more than ever."

"Thank you, Father. But please. How did you find him?"

Father Fitzpatrick looked at each of the faces in the room then rested his gaze back on Maria and Kurt.

"About a half hour ago I heard a car come to a screeching halt outside of the rectory. It woke me from a deep sleep so I went to the window and looked out. I saw a car open its back door, dump something out onto the steps of the church then speed away. It struck me as very odd so I raced outside to see what it was only to discover Kurt lying unconscious on the ground. I brought him inside and when he came to I drove him over here."

Maria looked down at Kurt who only nodded in agreement back up at her.

"I'm sure he'll fill you in on the rest, Maria. But for now I'll leave you all so you can get back to sleep." He tipped his hat at everyone, eyes landing on Kurt before he turned to leave.

"Father Fitzpatrick...danke." Kurt smiled.

"You're very welcome, my son." And he left, Elli closing the door behind him. After locking it back up, she walked over and gave Kurt a tight squeeze and placed a kiss on his forehead gingerly.

"You look simply awful my dear. Are you in any pain?"

"At the moment, no. But thank you, Elli."

Claire dried her face on the backside of her hands and made her way over and also gave Kurt a welcoming hug.

"There's plenty of food left in the kitchen if you're in the mood for something. I'm sure we can fix you a plate."

"That's okay, Claire. But I'm really very tired. I'd like to just go to sleep if that's all right with you."

Claire nodded that it was fine and she and Elli retreated back to the kitchen to clean up their mugs as Maria and Kurt made their way up to their room, arm-in-arm.

-SOM-

The bath water had gotten cold. Kurt sat in the tub, knees drawn to his chest. He had been in there for a good half hour and decided it was time to get out. He had been through hell and back. He didn't know how he was supposed to react. For some reason he had been beaten to a pulp multiple times over the past two weeks and his mother lay untouched. He wasn't angry at that, quite the contrary. But he still didn't know how comfortably he could go about his life as if nothing had ever happened.

He toweled himself off, looking over his bruises and wounds in the mirror while the water drained from the bathtub. There was immense discoloration all across his abdomen and around to one of his sides. His left eye was half way swollen shut and his lips looked like they were the sizes of melons. His arms were bruised around his biceps and the tops of his legs had welts from where the officers had kicked him. His hair, however, felt and looked like hair for the first time in weeks. The water and shampoo had really cleaned all the dried blood out.

Kurt stifled a yawn and put on his pajamas Maria laid out for him. He closed the light and walked out to find Maria resting her eyes on the bed. Softly, he turned off the lamp on the night table and climbed in beside her.

"I wasn't sleeping, you know."

For the first time in fourteen days Kurt smiled.

"Oh I know. You were just resting your eyes, isn't that the old stand by?" His eyes twinkled above his menacing grin.

Maria only smiled back as Kurt's head hit the pillow next to hers.

"I know they hurt you. But if you need to talk about it at all, you know you can," she said the smile fading from her lips as she grew serious.

Kurt's expression hardened up at the change of subject too.

"I'm fine now. The only thing that matters is you're safe and I'm safe."

Maria looked at him with a questioning look. She moved to cup his face with her left hand. Kurt brought his hand up and grasped it around Maria's on his cheek, not wanting her to break the contact. Tears fell down his cheeks again and he quivered under his mother's touch. Maria saw the sudden vulnerability in her son and immediately drew him closer to her, allowing him to sob into her nightgown. Kurt clung to the fabric as Maria pulled the quilt up around them, protectively tucking it in over their shoulders. She wrapped her arms over Kurt's and lulled them off to sleep.

* Hope you all weren't made with me over the past few chapters! But Maria and Kurt are together again and hopefully on their way to being with the rest of the Von Trapps! Keep reading and reviewing. You're all so terrific! *


	30. Time for Healing

The sunlight shone through the curtains as Maria rolled over. She stretched out her arm, reaching for Kurt. But when her hands felt nothing but the sheets, her eyes sprung wide open. _Was it all a dream? No! It had happened. He was back and they had fallen asleep with her holding him. _Quickly she got out of bed and dressed, hurrying downstairs to look for Kurt.

She walked into the kitchen just as Elli and Claire were starting the first wave of breakfast for the guests.

"Morning you two." She smiled anxiously at her friends.

Claire smiled back at her as she mixed the batter for the biscuits.

"Morning, dear. How did you sleep?" Elli looked up from stacking the plates on the table.

"Really well, actually. Have either of you seen Kurt?" Maria looked around the kitchen, even craning her neck to look past Claire and Elli at the windows to the backyard.

"Oh yes. He's outside splitting some extra firewood. Apparently, he's been up since before sunrise. Susan saw him cleaning up around the house when she left for school."

"Really?" Maria was astonished at her son's eagerness to get to work after all he'd been through, and after the little amount of sleep he must have gotten. Feeling a wave of relief, Maria moved to help Claire and Elli with the rest of breakfast and on to her morning chores.

-SOM-

Kurt threw down the final load of firewood he had chopped. He filled both cabinets on either sides of the fire in the living room and the smaller shed out back was halfway stocked up. Standing back up he dusted off his hands and gave a big sigh as he stood with his hands on his hips, admiring the work he'd done.

At that moment, Susan walked into the living room, school books in hand.

"Hey there!" She smiled at Kurt and walked over toward him.

Kurt turned and smiled seeing Susan approach him. "Hey yourself." They shared a quick hug and Susan pulled away, carefully looking at Kurt's bruised face. It hadn't looked as beaten up earlier in the day, perhaps because it wasn't light out yet.

"Does it hurt at all?" She motioned toward his eye.

"Nah, not unless you poke it." Susan jokingly moved to jab Kurt in the face. They both laughed at her attempt to be funny.

When their laughter had subsided Susan handed him the books she had been carrying.

"Here, these are for you. I went and got the work you missed today and your teachers said to go in early tomorrow to go over what you missed while...while...well, while you weren't here."

Kurt took the books as a thank you.

"What did you tell them? Do they know?" He sheepishly looked up from the textbooks in his hands.

"I think most of the teachers know because of church and Father Fitzpatrick and everything. Some of the kids still don't know you're okay, though. And they totally understood you missing classes today with only getting back late this morning...the teachers I mean."

"Thanks, I really appreciate everything. You're a great friend, you know that?"

He looked up so they were both staring at each other. Susan reached up and rested her hand on Kurt's cheek, as a sign of comfort.

"You're welcome." She smiled up at him. "...what really happened to you? You can tell me..."

Kurt shook his head, Susan's hand falling away from his face.

"Not now. I will, I promise, but I just need to get thinking straight about everything. I'm still a little messed up after it all."

He smiled sadly at Susan. She returned his smile and left him standing there by the fireplace.

Dinner was quiet that evening. Claire and Elli tried to pry details from Kurt as Susan attempted to do earlier in the day. Maria was the only one who hadn't tried to get her son to speak of what happened. She remained silent until all five of them were seated around a roaring fire in the living room.

"You know you can tell us what happened if you want to, that is only if you feel the need to," she said just as she had done in bed earlier in the day. Maria was sitting next to Kurt on one of the sofas. Claire and Elli looked at him across the room on the other couch.

Kurt closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. Wishing when he reopened them he'd be alone, not having to speak about it. But when he opened his eyes, four other pairs were looking right at him, even Susan who was pretending to do some homework as she sat in the armchair facing the fire.

He didn't want to lose face and start crying in front of everyone again, so Kurt opened his eyes and started into the dancing flames.

"What do you want to know? You all already have some sort of idea as to what happened. I mean look at me." He moved his gaze to each of them, resting finally on his mother's, tears now threatening to fall.

"We just want to hear it. I think it'd be good for you to let it out. We could see it all day long as you moved around here like a robot. It's not good for you to keep this all bottled up inside." Maria placed her hands gently on Kurt's forearm. Eyes pleading for him to let her in.

He swallowed and sat up a bit straighter now. He took a deep breath and let it out as he rested his elbows on his knees, slightly hunching over.

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He swallowed again, his throat suddenly feeling extremely dry. He licked his lips then opened again, this time words coming out.

"Right after we were both dragged away from here I woke up in a jail cell, I guess I was unconscious for a while. When I came to, there was blood caked all along the side of my face and my stomach hurt pretty badly. My hands were handcuffed together. It must have been pretty late out when I woke up because I could see it was dark as I looked out the window of the cell. When the guards heard me stirring they came and got me and brought me down into a basement. They took the restraints off me, and left me there. One of the officers hit me square across the face on his way out and knocked me out again."

He looked up to make sure everyone was following. When he caught his breath he continued on.

"For three days no one came. I tried to get out, but the door at the top of the stairs was locked. I screamed and shouted till my voice grew hoarse, but still nothing. Finally on the third day, Officer Thompson came down with two other officers. They were all smiling, but none of them said anything. Out of nowhere Officer Thompson began wailing on me. He kicked me in the stomach, punched my face, whacked me in the side of the head till I hit the ground. When he was done the other two did the same."

He looked up again, this time, tears falling freely down his cheeks.

"They did this everyday. Same routine. Sometimes there'd be three of them, sometimes four or five. But still they never said anything. Just laughed and beat me up. Then the day before yesterday, Officer Thompson came down by himself. He just stood there as I sat in the corner and started talking to me, like nothing had happened. He said he was doing all this for my own good and to teach me a lesson that immigrants don't belong here. He told me that after he was done with me I'd wished I'd never left Austria. He kept on saying how it was wrong of me to move in here and how I'd endangered your lived too. He said that if I didn't cooperate he'd come and get the three of you."

Kurt looked up, eyes boring holes into Claire, Elli, and Susan's faces. Their gazes locked on him completely.

"He also said he had beaten you up even worse than what he'd done to me and said he and the officers had done other nasty things to you." Kurt turned his tear stained face to look at his mother. Maria's cheeks were also wet from crying. Still, Kurt carried on.

"He paced back and forth and kept rambling on. Finally, he told me to get up and walk over toward him. When I did, he hit me hard in the stomach and pushed me back to the floor, then he left. Yesterday he came back, but with two other officers. They tied me to a pole and took turns again, then finally I was alone with Officer Thompson again and he was rambling on like he did the day before. He knocked me out and the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor of a car, not really sure of where I was. The car stopped and I was hauled out onto the road, rain immediately hitting my face. The car screeched away and suddenly Father Fitzpatrick's face was looking down over mine. He helped me and brought me here."

Maria, Claire, Elli, and Susan were all sobbing. Kurt had stopped crying, but was still sniffling. He wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt and sat back on the couch. His head still hung low, afraid to make eye contact with anyone in the room. It was Susan who broke the silence and went over to sit on the other side of her friend. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and held onto his hand tightly.

-SOM-

October turned into November and November likewise into December. New Hampshire had seen snow over two dozen times already. The ground had just been covered with a fresh white blanket the evening before, as the Von Trapps and Winters climbed out of their car. It was another Sunday morning and they were all coming back from church, eager to start another week.

Kurt's bruises and wounds had healed nicely, but due to their harsh nature, some light discoloration was still present in his face and parts of his chest, but that would go away with time. The quintet was carefully walking the short distance from the garage to the house when Susan covertly began mounding snow into a ball in her hands, moisture dampening her gloves. She formed the perfect snowball and launched it toward Kurt, but slipped as she inched her feet forward. The snowball went off target as Susan landed in a pile of snow on the driveway, sailing into the back of Maria's head.

Susan gasped in horror as Maria turned around, with one hand on the spot where she'd just been hit. Susan opened her mouth to apologize profusely as she stood up, but Maria silenced her with a wave of her hands. Instead of scolding Susan, Maria stooped down and gathered a snowball of her own and launched it, the snowball flying through the air landing with a loud SPLAT on Elli's chest. Elli's lips curved into a smile and as she knelt down to join in the fun, a white mound exploded on Claire's stomach, Kurt smiling wickedly across the driveway. Soon all five of them were busy making snowballs and dodging flying masses. Some of the guests looked down at them from their rooms in the house and smiled as they saw all the fun everyone was having.

They were all out of breath, laughing and panting together. Elli suggested they all get up and head inside to warm up and dry off when a police cruiser came to a rolling halt in front of their house. Kurt froze. Thoughts came flooding back to him from months past. He instinctively moved to cover the ladies as a tall officer exited the vehicle.

"Everyone go inside right now." He commanded the others to leave as he spoke over his shoulder. The jovial expression he wore mere moments ago was now replaced with a look of pure unadulterated hatred toward anyone in an authority position.

But the others stood their ground, moving slightly toward the back door, but still remaining outside.

The officer approached Kurt with a friendly look.

"Good morning there, hope I didn't spoil all the fun." He smiled at Kurt then turned toward the others by the door.

"Hello. Morning ladies." He tipped his hat in their direction.

Feeling a bit brazen and scared straight at the exact same time, Kurt managed to squeak out a greeting that, thankfully, came out in a steady voice.

"Something I can help you with officer?"

"Well yes as a matter of fact I'm looking for a Maria and Kurt Von Trapp. You wouldn't happen to be him, would you?"

"Yes, sir. That's me."

"And what about Maria, where might I find her?"

"If you could tell me what your business is here first, that would be fine please." Kurt stood his ground, avoiding the officer's question.

The officer looked from the huddle of women standing in the distance and then back to the young man in front of him.

"Nothing business about my being here, son. I'm merely here to extend my sincerest sympathies and apologies to Kurt and Maria about the manner in which they were recently treated by an Officer Bill Thompson. My name is Chief Andrew Williams, and I'm in charge of the state police here in New Hampshire. We'd gotten a number of complaints about the force here in Durham. I truly apologize on behalf of all the officers for the brutality you and your mother suffered back in October. I honestly had no idea."

Kurt let his guard down hearing Chief Williams' words. He looked back in the direction of his mother. Maria smiled and nodded back at her son. Kurt turned once more to face the man in front of him.

"Well thank you, sir. That's extremely decent of you to call on us today to say that."

Chief Williams gave Kurt his most sincere smile.

"I can't express enough how disappointed I am in the members of this force. But you all should be happy to know the guilty parties have been stripped of their authority here in Durham and are currently awaiting trial and punishment at the state penitentiary in Concord.

Hearing that, Kurt gave the officer his most genuine smile as a sign of gratitude.

"Thank you. You don't know how please my mother and I are to hear that. And the same goes for our friends standing back there, too."

"It's my please, truly. If any of you want to press charges or testify against the men who harmed you, now would be the time to let me know."

Kurt shook his head. "Just as long as they get theirs and are properly dealt with. We just want all of this to go away and get back with our lives.

"That's very admirable of you, Kurt. Now I must be getting back to Concord. Again, I am very, very sorry for everything."

He stuck out his gloved hand and Kurt gladly took it, his own gloved hand, hanging on with a firm shake.

"No need to apologize any more, chief. You didn't know."

They stood there as an awkward silence passed between them. Chief Williams moved to get back in the car when Kurt stopped him.

"Wait, would you at least like to stay for breakfast? We'll be busy making it anyway for the guests, we'd love to have you join us?"

Chief Williams stood with his hand on the roof of his car contemplating the offer. "Thank you for the thought, but I really must be heading back. Some other time." He smiled as he ducked back into his car.

Kurt waved as the car drove out of sight and went back to join the others. Susan had already gone inside with her mother and grandmother to start breakfast, but Maria stood by the door still, waiting for her son. When Kurt got near, she held out her arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, giving him a squeeze and peck on the forehead as they walked into the kitchen together.

* Thoughts about the past few chapters? Keep the reviews coming =) *


	31. Christmas

There were more snowball fights as December wore on. There were many mornings when they woke up and everything was blanketed in white. Maria and Kurt were used to the harsh winter weather, of course. Austria looked as beautiful, if not more picturesque, as New Hampshire. So Claire, Elli, and Susan expected them to carry on working despite the colder conditions, which Maria and Kurt did.

They weren't complaining. If anything they were more mindful of their surroundings. The three year mark had passed. In fact it was more than three years now that it Christmas was quickly approaching. Maria was three years older, wiser. She was three years all the more strong for being on her own for so long, well on her own with Kurt that was. She shuddered to think what life would have been like had she not been blessed with her son for all this time.

Kurt was fifteen years old. It felt weird to him. He turned twelve very shortly after he and his mother had been separated so even though only three years had flown by, he felt older and more mature than fifteen. He had endured a lot for a teenage boy like himself. Oh how proud he hoped his father would have been had he been there to witness all that had happened...

Christmas fell on a Friday that year. Finally, Maria and Kurt were excited for the first time in years to celebrate Christmas the way it should be celebrated. Together with the Winter family, they went out to an open field and cut down their very own tree. They shared the responsibility and pleasure of decorating it. Claire brought down ornaments from the attic. She relished the moments of showing them off to Maria and Kurt. Trinkets she'd had since she was young. Susan loved the colored glass balls Elli so carefully unwrapped from one box. Maria used her sewing abilities to string popcorn and cranberries on a thin thread to string around the tree. Kurt was selected to do the honors of placing the Christmas angel at the very top of the tree. Yes, it would certainly be a perfect Christmas celebration.

With Christmas being on a Friday, Claire made sure all of their guests were checked out by noon on the twenty-fourth, thus, giving her family an entire weekend to themselves. She couldn't remember the last time she had a weekend to sleep in and enjoy being in her nightgown and doing absolutely nothing for hours on end. So when the very last suitcase was hauled out of the house, she didn't hurry to tidy up any of the rooms, but rather treated herself to a wonderful glass of scotch. She hadn't really drank since her husband's death; he loved scotch. In fact, he was the one who turned Claire onto its taste in the first place.

Maria happened to walk into the living room when she saw Claire reclining on one of the couches, sipping from her glass.

"Celebrating in style I see." Maria said with a broad smile on her face.

"Mmm...in style and in the most comfortable position I've been in a long time." Claire smiled back at her friend. She motioned for Maria to join her. So Maria sat down next to Claire, propped her feet up on the coffee table.

"Care for a drink?" Maria eyed Claire's glass.

"What is it?"

"Scotch - single malt Macallan to be exact. It was a gift from Father Fitzpatrick from years ago. I believe he brought it back from a past trip of his to Scotland one year when he was in Europe."

Maria shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I'm not much of a scotch drinker. If you had any whiskey, now that's be a different story."

"A whiskey girl, eh? I wouldn't have pegged you for that, Maria." Claire said with a twinkle as she took another slow sip.

"Ah, yes. Georg turned me onto it. Of course I'd had it growing up on my uncle's farm, but when we were in Paris on our honeymoon we tried so many brands and kinds that made my head spin. I never knew there were so many whiskeys out there."

Claire smiled at the sudden openness of her friend. "Well the liquor cabinet's right over there, help yourself."

"You know, that sounds awfully tempting, don't mind if I do." Maria stood and crossed the room to the cabinet and stooped down to peer into it.

When she stood back up she was holding a dusty bottle with a look of awe on her face.

"Where on Earth did you get this?"

Claire squinted to see the bottle in Maria's hands.

"I don't even know what that is. What's the name?"

"It's called Hohler. It's from Germany. One of my favorites." Maria turned the bottle over in her hands as she grabbed a glass and made her way back to the couch.

"I honestly don't know where that one came from. Peter was a big collector of aged liquor, but I don't ever recall him bringing that one home."

Maria filled her glass, topped off Claire's, and they clinked their beverages together and sipped together.

Maria felt the most relaxed she had in a while. She didn't know if it was because of her sudden thirst quencher or the fact that everyone was safe, but she was at ease for the first time in a long time.

By the time Elli, Susan, and Kurt arrived home from their shopping, Maria and Claire were fairly intoxicated. Not drunk entirely, but they had a case of the giggles and Maria was hiccuping every other minute, which of course caused even more laughter from Claire. So it was a bit of a shock when Elli strolled in, covered in snow, holding several shopping bags.

"Claire Margaret, are you drunk?" Elli scolded her daughter using her middle name.

Claire was obviously unfazed by her mother's reaction to her current state, "Yup, momma. I've been drinking with Maria." She reached over and clinked her empty glass on Maria's, causing more giggles from the couch. She gave her mother and daughter a wide, eyes almost closed, smile.

Kurt dropped the bags he was holding when he saw his mother. She had her legs up on the table, shoes off, stockings off and was pouring herself another glass of whiskey.

"Mother! Are you drunk too!" Kurt was in shock. He had never seen his mother out of her shell in such a state. Susan started giggling, but was failing at holding her laughter in.

Maria set the bottle down on the table, perhaps a little too harshly.

"Who me? - HIC! - Why of course not, Kurt. I'm simply - HIC - having a small libation with my friend Claire - HIC - here."

By now Susan was full-out hysterical and Elli was trying to hold in her laughter as well. Which of course only encouraged Maria and Claire to giggle and hiccup even more. Kurt couldn't believe it and eventually he too was joining in on the hilarity of the situation.

By the time he, Susan, and Elli settled in and cleaned up, finishing off the work Maria and Claire promised to do when they left to Christmas shop, Maria and Claire were snoring on the couch. Kurt took their empty glasses and brought them to the kitchen where he tidied up. Susan returned the bottles to the liquor cabinet and went to turn down the beds. Elli was left with the task of coaxing Maria and Claire to their bedrooms and putting them to sleep. Luckily, both of them had managed to wrap their presents before they started drinking and slide them safely under the tree.

Susan and Kurt were just finishing wrapping theirs and putting them with the others when Elli walked into the room with an armful of gifts herself. She gingerly laid them on the floor.

"Who wants some hot chocolate before we had off to our slumber, hhmm?"

She turned to Kurt and Susan who nodded eagerly in response. Minutes later, Elli was back with a tray of three steaming cups of cocoa and a plate of fresh Christmas cookies she had baked earlier. The trio sat gazing into the fire savoring their snack. They were all falling asleep, one giant mass together on the couch, when the clock struck midnight.

"Oh my goodness. Saint Nicholas will be here any minute. We should all be getting to bed!"

Susan and Kurt exchanged glances of happiness, both not really believing in Santa any more, but still embracing his spirit and what he represented. As they all stood together, Elli turned to Kurt.

"And how do you say Santa Claus in German, Kurt?"

"Weihnachtsmann. It's a bit longer than your version, but means the same basically."

"Well then, we need to get to sleep so we can wake up to the wondrous joys that Weihnachtsmann will have left us." Elli wrapped her arms around Susan and Kurt and the three retired for the evening.

-SOM-

It came as no surprise when all five awoke the next morning to see a lovely light snow falling. Thanks to Maria and Claire's late afternoon celebration, they had slept right through the night and were the last ones to wake up around nine o'clock. Kurt was the first and made his way into the kitchen to get coffee and tea ready for everyone. He even went as far as to put in a fresh loaf of bread into the oven and had the eggs all scrambled in a bowl in the fridge, ready to be made. So when Elli and Susan were the first to enter the living room, a lovely aroma was wafting from the kitchen. Steaming mugs were already set out by the time Claire and Maria made their way down.

"Merry Christmas darlings!" Claire made her way over to everyone for a nice Christmas hug.

"Merry Christmas, mom!" Susan held her arms out for her mother.

"Frohe Weihnachten, Kurt."

"Frohe Weihnachten, mother." Maria and Kurt embraced as everyone sat down comfortably on the sofas.

"Mmmm...mother this coffee is delicious." Claire took a large sip from her mug.

"Don't thank me, Kurt's responsible for breakfast this morning," said Elli giving Kurt all the credit.

"Well compliments to you then my dear," said Claire, a bit surprised, as she raised her mug toward Kurt, who in turn gave her a slight nod of approval.

"All right everyone, who wants to open presents?" Maria leaned forward toward the pile under the tree, looking to pluck something special out for everyone...

By the time they had all finished opening everything, there was a heap of wrapping paper under the tree where the gifts once sat. It had been a very generous Christmas. Claire and Elli promised each other they weren't going to go all out, but of course they both exceeded their own limits.

Susan had been lucky to receive several new beautiful dresses from her mother and grandmother, a modest makeup kit from her mother. Oranges and peppermint sticks in her stocking made her squeal with delight. And she received a gorgeous wool scarf and matching rose colored hat and set of mittens Maria knitted especially for her. Kurt had given her a scrapbook of meaningful trinkets he'd acquired since becoming friends with Susan: the first fallen leaves off their tree out back, a copy of the recipe of her chocolate chip muffins he loved when she baked them, some leftover money from Austria Susan had found fascinating, things like that. She absolutely adored it and gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek as a thank you, which made his entire face turn a shade of deep red.

Claire and Elli had told Maria they wanted to do something special for Kurt since he was away from home on Christmas, so they had found a fantastic music book, filled with hundreds of pages of sheet music for him to play at the piano. He was so overcome with joy he sprang up and treated everyone with a few tunes on the spot. He also received peppermint sticks and oranges and even a few dried figs - his favorite. Maria had made him a few dazzling sweaters. And Susan gave him a model kit of a replica submarine that had been used in the war Georg had fought in. She had seen it in a store window and remembered Kurt speaking proudly of his father's naval exploits.

The adults may have spoiled their children to pieces, but had stayed true to their word of keeping modest gifts for each other. New aprons, recipe books, perfume, broaches and the like were exchanged between the three of them. Susan gave her mother and grandmother new place mats for the dining room table she had crocheted herself. Maria had given her countless lessons since the beginning of fall.

Kurt gave his mother a brand new set of beautiful blue rosary beads he found in a jewelry store when he had first arrived in Durham months ago. He knew his mother already had a set, but she had told him from years ago that you could never have enough sets of rosary beads, it just meant you were that much closer to God. Maria loved her gift and said a prayer on the spot while she hugged Kurt close.

And finally Maria and Kurt presented their gift to Claire, Elli, and Susan. It was a gorgeous painting of the three of them at a fair years back with Susan's father and Elli's husband.

Elli looked at Maria and Kurt in utter shock and awe.

"How in the world did you manage this? She spoke with teary eyes. Claire ran her hand over the part of the painting where her husband was. Susan stood over her mother's shoulder looking on happily.

"Well," began Maria. "I found the original picture at the beginning of the summer when we cleaned out one of the hall closets upstairs. It was wedged between two dusty books. I supposed I liked it so much that I must have kept it and put it in our room. And Kurt found it just about a month ago in our dresser. It had the same effect on him as it did me and we took it to a painter in town who was happy to replicate it for you on canvas."

Maria and Kurt sat looking at how much joy their gift had brought to their friends. Claire, Elli, and Susan couldn't take their eyes off the painting. Finally Claire tore her gaze from it to look across the room.

"This is the most gorgeous thing I've ever gotten in my life. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart - from all our hearts."

Elli and Susan nodded in agreement. Maria and Kurt merely smiled back.

"Merry Christmas ladies," Kurt said cheerfully.

"Frohe Weihnachten to you, Maria and Kurt," was Claire's reply back.

* Story is winding down...hope everyone's still reading and enjoying! Reviews please and thanks =) *


	32. Tears of Pure Joy

Nobody bothered to change out of their pajamas from Christmas morning all weekend - well, that is until Sunday rolled along and it came time for church. All five of them resentfully bathed, cleaned up, and changed into appropriate attire before heading to mass. By the time they walked through the door to the inn, it was only ten o'clock and everybody was looking forward to their last full day of relaxation.

"It's a shame Father Fitzpatrick wasn't able to spend Christmas with us. And it was odd not seeing him at mass today." Susan was helping tidy up the living room with Kurt. Her mother, Maria, and Elli were busy floating in and out of the kitchen with breakfast.

"Yes, but I'm sure he had a nice time visiting his cousin in Vermont." Kurt replied with a smile, meeting Susan with the blanket they were folding together.

"Did you know his cousin is also a priest? Imagine that. Two men from the same family deciding to become priests together."

"Well I don't see how that's so strange. Would you consider it to be something if two brothers decided to become doctors together? Or teachers? Or lawyers?" Kurt was teasing Susan by now, trying to come up with an insane amount of examples to prove his point.

Susan just rolled her eyes and threw the last blanket at Kurt.

"Alright, alright. You win - again! Satisfied?" She stood with her hands on her hips?

Kurt's smile only grew at her concession.

"Bbrr...it's getting a bit drafty in here. I think I'm going to go grab some extra firewood to get us through the rest of the day."

He went to the corner and grabbed his jacket and gloves off the coat rack.

"Try not to miss me too much," he shot over his shoulder as he left Susan.

As Kurt was heading outside, Claire and Elli were putting the finishing touches on their breakfast. Elli gently placed the stack of plates on the table and moved around it to arrange the silverware.

"Where did Kurt go? We're about to eat. I assumed he'd be sitting at the table already!" Claire joked as her daughter chuckled.

"He's outside stocking up on more firewood."

Claire nodded in approval.

"Where's Maria, mom?"

"Oh she's still in the kitchen. Finishing up squeezing the last of the orange juice into the pitcher. Come on, we can sit down, she'll only be another minute."

But as the trio made their way to the table, there came a knock at the door. Claire moved to answer it and standing on the other side was Father Fitzpatrick and a man she didn't recognize.

"Hello, Father! Merry Christmas!" She merrily greeted the pastor and ushered he and his friend into the house out of the cold. She took their coats and motioned for them to have a seat on the sofa.

"Merry Christmas to you all! I trust your holiday was well! Sorry I was unable to make it for Christmas dinner, but my prior plans with my cousin in Vermont stood in the way."

"Of course, Father. We understand completely," said Elli, who came from around the table to greet their guests.

"And who is your friend?" Elli looked to the visitor seated beside Father Fitzpatrick as Claire and Susan looked on in curiosity.

Father Fitzpatrick actually stood up, his friend doing the same.

"Well, it's about time you all met him."

All three ladies eyed each other with obvious confusion, finally resting their gazes back on their pastor.

"It's my pleasure to introduce to all of you, Captain Georg Von Trapp, of Austria."

Three amazed faces gawked back at him.

"This is Maria's husband and Kurt's father."

Still, the others remained frozen where they stood. It was Georg who made the first move and gracefully slid across the living room to embrace Elli at first, then Susan, and finally ending on Claire.

"Father Fitzpatrick has told me so much about you. It's nice to meet you all finally."

Georg enthusiastically smiled at everyone.

"I don't believe it. How in the world? I mean - where - how did you find him?"

Elli was the first to speak, her shock fading away as she took a seat on the opposite couch. Susan and Claire followed her lead.

Georg and Father Fitzpatrick looked at each other and it was the latter of the two who spoke.

"Well my cousin who's a priest in Vermont, is the pastor at Georg's church. Months ago, he had introduced the two of us briefly after a mass one weekend when I visited and I thought nothing of it. Then after mass on Christmas morning I saw Georg again and bid him a friendly hello and we got to talking. And well, he casually confessed how he and the rest of his family were celebrating another sad Christmas without two family members. He happened to mention his wife's name, which of course was Maria, and I made the connection and revealed to him of our friends staying here in New Hampshire all this time."

Claire, Susan, and Elli sat, their mouths agape once again. It was incredible.

"It's a Christmas miracle. That's what it is!" Claire stood up and crossed the room to embrace George once more. His back was to the kitchen door and just as Claire pulled away she saw Maria entering with a full tray. Claire gasped, anticipating the reunion that was about to occur.

But Maria was too concentrated on her task at hand and quickly made her way to the table without so much as a glance toward the sitting area, neatly resting her tray down on the dining room table. When she turned around and saw who was standing next to Claire, she thought her heart was going to beat straight out of her chest.

Now it was Georg's turn to be frozen. His stomach knotted, throat became dry, and tears formed in his eyes, all at the exact same moment. Claire stood back to give him some space. At first he took a few small, slow steps toward Maria, she doing the same. Then all at once, they were rushing to one another. Georg clutched at Maria's back, wanting to feel his wife close to him. Maria threw her arms around his neck, clutching at the back of his head and shoulders. She sobbed onto his shoulder immediately. Georg released all of the emotions he had been holding in for the past three years.

They stood that way, not making a sound except for the faint noises of their sobs into each other. Father Fitzpatrick and the girls remained on the couches, observing the tender moment.

Maria broke contact first and stood back ever so slightly. Her hands caressed her husband's face, roaming, searching, making sure he was the same Georg she had left all those nights ago.

"It's really you. I don't believe it - it's really you." Her eyes bore deep into his, tears cascading down her cheeks like an avalanche.

"Yes, it's me. I can't believe it either. After all this time you're back with me." Georg was showing no signs of restraining his emotions, both his cheeks soaked.

After what seemed like years, he carefully brought his hands around Maria's face and gently guided her chin towards him. Their lips touched, softly at first, then both of them deepening their kiss. Maria clasped her arms around Georg's neck, he pressed her body deep into his, needing to feel her warmth. Their kiss was chaste at first, but it quickly turned into a more heated embrace. Georg breeching the distance between their mouths, his tongue searching for Maria's, her tongue welcoming his in return.

Moments later, he pulled back slightly, arms still around his bride and smiled into her hair. Maria rested her forehead against his chin and cried the happiest tears that had ever fallen. She had her sea captain back. _Thank you, Lord. Thank you so much._

Georg stroked her hair with his hand and squeezed himself a bit more into Maria. He didn't want to let her go, but he knew if they stood like that he wouldn't be able to control himself in front of everyone. He gazed into Maria's eyes and lovingly placed a kiss on her temple and stood back, hands firmly fastened around hers.

Maria took a minute to compose herself and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. She reached up and did the same to Georg, causing him to laugh at her loving touch. When they were done, Maria turned to her friends looking on.

"Um, everyone this is Georg...my husband." She dreamily looked back up at her husband who reached out and gave her another gentle kiss on the lips. Claire's voice brought them back to reality.

"We've just been introduced by Father Fitzpatrick. Come and sit down!"

They all sat down so Maria and Georg were on one couch together and everyone else was rearranged around them. Maria was smiling, looking the happiest she had ever been. Georg gazed back at his wife, but suddenly his expression turned to a worried one.

"Wait a minute...where's Kurt?" He nervously asked, looking around him, taking in his surroundings for the first time since entering the house.

Maria must have sensed her husband's panic.

"Calm down, darling. He's just outside gathering some firewood." Maria brought her hand up to Georg's face, who's breathing started to even back out after his momentary outburst.

And Kurt took that precise moment to make his presence known and came into the room, shaking snow off himself with an armful of logs. His vision was blocked by the firewood and didn't even see his father's shocked face.

"Phew. It's starting to snow out there, coming down pretty hard, too. Those fat, thick flakes that just settle on you and are perfect for making great snowballs."

Kurt spoke out loud, his back now to everyone in the room as he stooped down to fill one of the cabinets to the side of the fireplace. When he finished, he stood up and flung his coat back on the rack in the corner and turned around to face everyone in the room.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? Isn't breakfast ready -" But his voice caught in his throat as his eyes landed on his father sitting on the couch, fingers entwined with Maria's.

His breath grew heavy and his heart started beating so quickly. Kurt opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly his throat felt scratchy and dry.

Georg stood up, hand falling our of Maria's tight grasp. "Kurt." He spoke almost like a whisper.

"Fah - father?" Kurt's unsure response triggered so many emotions running inside him.

Just as Maria and Georg had done moments before, Kurt and his father moved toward each other in one swift motion. After all the years apart, Kurt had grown and came up to his father's shoulders, the top of his head just barely going past them. Georg gripped onto his son for dear life. He whimpered as Kurt dug his hands into his father's back - his fingers spread out almost in a claw like pose. Finally, the Von Trapp men were together again.

Kurt choked back a sob and Georg pressed his son's head into him. He patted Kurt's head and tried to soothe him, attempting to calm himself down for the second time that day. Maria sat idly by, tears trickling down her face again. In fact, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Even Father Fitzpatrick was crying, overcome in joy.

Kurt took a step back and and wiped his nose and eyes on his shirt sleeve.

"I can't believe you're here. How did you find us?"

Georg mimicked his son's actions and dried his face, too.

"Father Fitzpatrick. His cousin is the pastor at our church in Vermont."

Kurt turned and looked at Father Fitzpatrick, smiling at him with sheer gratitude. By now, Maria had stood and had linked arms with her husband. Kurt turned back at his father and smiled at the image of both his parents together. Maria held her arms out and the three of them shared a tight group hug together. The sight made Elli gasp out, her heart melting for all three. And all over again, everyone was sobbing.

"Well this is wonderful news. I'm so happy for you three." Claire stood up and embraced Maria tightly. Susan followed her mother's lead and went over and hugged Kurt.

Elli stood up as she dried her eyes.

"This is indeed splendid news, but our breakfast is getting cold. Come now, all of you, let's have a meal and give thanks for this fantastic turn of events, you too, Father. After all, without you none of this would be possible."

Father Fitzpatrick merely smiled and bowed his head slightly in the direction of the three Von Trapps.

They moved slowly as a group to the table. Maria disappeared into the kitchen, only to come back with another tray clad with a few platters of french toast, bacon strips, and some fresh fruit. She placed the tray on the table and sat down in between her husband and son. With everyone else already sitting, Claire went to get extra place settings for their gentlemen guests and joined everyone else at her place at the head of the table.

"Father, if you would do the honors of saying the blessing."

Father Fitzpatrick stood up at his place and blessed himself, everyone else bowing their heads in reverence.

"Dear Lord, for this bounty we are about to receive, please allow us to be immensely thankful. And dear, God, please bless these families before you. Bless them today, and bless them for all days to come. We ask this in your name. Amen."

A chorus of "amens" followed and the only sound that could be heard was the clanking of silverware for the next few minutes. After taking a gulp of juice Kurt spoke up.

"How is everyone , father? The others - are they all right?"

Georg used his napkin to wipe the edge of his mouth.

"They're all fantastic. To me honest, none of them know I'm here right now."

Maria dropped her fork in astonishment.

"Why in the world not?"

Georg chuckled at Maria's remark.

"Well after meeting with Father Fitzpatrick this weekend, he told me how he was returning to New Hampshire this morning and asked me to take the train back with him, to which I offered to drive him back myself, which I did. I didn't tell your brother or sisters because of how we were all feeling Christmas morning, very sullen and down, not very celebratory at all. So when I told them last night I'd be going out of town today, none of them questioned me. When the three of us return later this afternoon I figured it would be the greatest Christmas gift they could have ever asked for."

Georg meekly looked from his wife to his son, a sly smile creeping over his lips.

"That sounds like a terrific idea," Susan said as she loaded her fork with more bacon. She noticed how Georg and Kurt's smiles were almost identical. She smiled at this.

"Thank you, Susan my dear. I thought so too." Georg winked at her across the table.

"So wait, we're leaving then?" Kurt asked, cursing at himself for his idiotic question, knowing they'd obviously be leaving with his father.

"Well, yes. I'm not exactly going to go home and leave you and your mother here."

"No, I know that. It's just..." Kurt's voice trailing off as he tried to find the words to express his sudden sadness for leaving Susan, Claire, and Elli.

"I think what he means is that it's just a tad overwhelming." Maria came to his rescue and reached over to put a tender hand on his head. "But we do know that we've waited and traveled all this time to find our home and now we've found it." Her gaze never leaving Kurt's. He nodded back at her.

Claire looked at her mother. The two of them growing sad suddenly, realizing they were losing their friends once breakfast was over.

"We know this must be a bittersweet moment for you both, but it's what's right. You look me in the eye, Maria, and tell me your mind isn't already made up." Claire's eyes twinkled across the table at her friend, half from the tears threatening to fall, half because of her mischievous tone.

Tears surfacing in her eyes as well, Maria smile gratefully at her friend.

Kurt swallowed his fruit and bashfully glanced over at Susan, who was weakly smiling back at him, knowing she'd be losing her friend just as her mother was losing hers.

"So it's settled then," said Elli. "You'll be heading to Vermont after breakfast. It would be an enormous lie if we all were to say you both wouldn't be missed here, so eat up so you're not hungry for the ride."

And then she added, looking at Kurt, "I suppose we're going to have to go back to cooking the normal amount of food from now on," which of course caused everyone to laugh leaving the tone of the rest of breakfast lighter and happier.

* As promised - a happy reunion! Stay tuned for to see how they other children react to the news! Review ASAP please and thanks =) *


	33. Home

And just like that they were all gathered near the front door. Maria and Kurt's bags were packed and leaning against the wall. They were all bundled up to head out into the winter weather. Georg and Father Fitzpatrick were chatting on the porch, having started the cars to warm them up and already said their goodbyes.

Claire stood with her hands on Susan's shoulders. Elli was starting the first round of goodbyes, embracing Maria. They clung to each other, sadness evident in their eyes.

"You know if it hadn't been for you, Kurt and I would have never made it this far. You were so persistent that first day back in the summer. Thank you."

Maria stood facing Elli, holding her hands. She smiled faintly at the older woman.

"Oh come now, like I could have really turned you two away." Elli returned the smile.

"Besides, it was Claire who was really the old tart anyway." Elli gave her daughter a wink and moved to give Maria one final embrace.

Susan broke away from her mother and rushed into Kurt's arms.

"Don't go and leave me here alone again," she whispered into his ear, tears falling.

He wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes tightly

"None of that. You'll be fine here with your mother and Elli...and once I get to Vermont I'll send you my address there and we can write each other as often as we like."

This seemed to brighten Susan a bit and she lifted her head.

"Really? You mean that?"

"Of course. I promise. You won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

Elli and Susan switched places and she went to hug Maria and Elli wrapped Kurt into a loving embrace as they said their farewells.

When it came time for Claire's turn, she was fighting back sobs. Maria ran and hugged her.

"Thank you for everything. I'm going to miss you terribly."

"I'm going to miss you too, Claire. And I should be the one thanking you."

"No." Claire said with a quick shake of her head. "You brought a bit of happiness and glee into this house and you have been a tremendous friend to me. For that I'll always be eternally grateful."

"We'll have to have you over to visit soon. I'm sure they have scotch and whiskey in Vermont," Maria said into Claire's hair. They embraced one final time and gave each other delicate kisses on their cheeks. Then Claire crossed over to say goodbye to Kurt.

"You take care of your mother now." She choked out. Kurt gave her a hug.

"I will, don't worry. Don't you let anything happen to this family, I'm counting on you."

They broke apart. Maria gathered their bags and she and Kurt turned to face the Winters one final time. Everybody smiled and like that, Maria and Kurt walked out of the Shimmering Fountain Bed and Breakfast, ready to face a new journey where they would call Vermont their new home.

Georg was waiting by the car with Father Fitzpatrick. Maria walked to the priest first and hugged him fiercely.

"We have so much to thank you for. Promise me we'll see you again."

"I promise. You'll probably see me in Vermont sooner than you think." Maria walked over where Georg was waiting by the trunk to put their bags in the car. Kurt walked up to Father Fitzpatrick and extended his hand.

"It's going to be weird not seeing you every day, Father."

"Oh somehow I think you'll manage my boy. You take care now. I hope everything turns out well with your family. God bless you."

"Thank you, and you as well." Georg slammed the trunk closed and the Von Trapps climbed in, leaving a waving Father Fitzpatrick in the driveway by his car.

-SOM-

"Oh come on - that's not true!" Kurt was laughing from the back seat at his father's story.

"I'm not making this up. She had all of the burners going and the stove completely off and when she pulled the casserole out she had no idea why it was still raw!"

All three of them were giggling hearing Louisa's very first attempt at cooking. Maria chuckled, gazing out the window.

"Well I hope by now her cooking skills have improved some."

"Oh no doubt, my darling. I can assure you all five of our daughters are experts in the kitchen."

"And what about you, Captain?"

"Err, well at least I know the difference between the stove and oven...here we are!"

Kurt leaned forward and rested his arms on the front seat as his father turned down a long driveway. They were coasting slowly down a woody lane, but he could make out the clearing ahead. When they got to the end of the drive, Maria let out a small gasp in surprise. They stopped in front of a very beautiful, rustic looking wooden lodge.

"Do we, do we live here?" She turned to Georg who was watching her the entire time.

"Of course! Come on, everyone out!"

Maria got out of the car and was in awe of her surroundings. Their new home was set by itself on the side of the mountain, overlooking a spectacular snow covered canyon of hills and mountains. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh mountain air. Georg and Kurt watched with broad smiles on their faces.

"Welcome home, Maria."

She turned and opened her eyes. "Yes, this feels like it."

They climbed the stairs and walked across the porch that wrapped around the entire house to the front door. Georg opened it and ushered his family in out of the cold. Maria was in even more awe as she stepped over the threshold. They walked through a small set of three stairs to the foyer. There was a wooden staircase directly in front of them leading upstairs. To their left and down a few more steps was the living room, rustic looking clad with furniture and a crackling fire going. Straight ahead was a hallway that led up to the kitchen and dining room. And on their right was a lovely picture window looking outside with a baby grand piano against the wall.

"Georg," Maria turned to her husband who was hanging all of their coats in the hall closet. "This absolutely gorgeous!" She ran to him and kissed him hard on the mouth. In return, Georg picked her up off the ground and spun her around the entrance way. Kurt looked on in pure joy and walked down the little steps into the living room to do some exploring.

Hearing the commotion coming from the front, Liesl, Gretl, and Brigitta came out from the kitchen to greet their father, but they were in for a shock to see him kissing a woman.

"Father, what's going on?" Brigitta's face fell as she saw her father put the woman he was kissing back down on the ground. "Mother!" All at once she was in Maria's arms and they were both crying.

"Brigitta is that really you?" She had grown and came up to Maria's shoulders. They cried and hugged and were soon joined by Gretl and Liesl, forming a giant hug in the middle of the foyer. All four of them were hugging and kissing one another when the rest of the Von Trapp children came down the stairs, hearing their father.

Freidrich came down first and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, mouth agape. He stopped so abruptly that Louisa and Marta crashed into his back.

"OW! Freidrich, what's the matter with you?" Louisa scolded him, rubbing her collar bone where she had collided with her brother. But Freidrich could only stare and point at the sight unfolding before him. Louisa stared ahead where he was pointing and her face dropped, too. Marta broke free from behind and ran to join her sisters.

"MOTHER!" Soon there was a mass of seven Von Trapps huddled close together. Each of the children needing to get closer to their mother, who was doling out hugs and kisses to them all, grabbing them to her.

"Oh children! You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

"We've missed you too!" Louisa called back, finally getting a chance to hug her mother.

They were all speaking at once. Laughing, crying, asking questions. Georg was still standing by the living room doorway and was now leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He was just taking it all in, ecstatic to be seeing his entire family under one roof at last. Kurt came up the steps to the foyer from the living room. Hands in his pockets, he smiled and was a bit nervous seeing his siblings for the first time in three years. They had all grown obviously, but they were all the same. Laughing and interacting with his mother, he could make out a time back home in Austria when the exact same thing had happened. He was lost in his own personal deja vu when Brigitta saw him from across the room.

"Look - Kurt!" She broke away from everyone else and ran to her brother. Kurt wrapped her in an enormous hug and shut his eyes tight.

He whispered her name, shivers shooting down his spine. His brother and other sisters soon caught on what was happening and the mob that was just around Maria hovered over to their long lost brother. Maria chuckled at them all migrating over and went to wrap her arms around her husband's waist, who in turn draped his arm over her shoulders lovingly.

And all at once the girls were bombarding Kurt with questions galore. Freidrich stood to the side and Kurt made his way to his older brother. He stuck out his hand in a gentlemanly fashion, but Freidrich didn't even take it. He embraced his little brother fully, who wasn't all that little anymore. The brothers shed tears together and their five sisters formed a massive group hug around them. Georg laughed openly at the sight of all seven of his children hugging together. After fifteen minutes or so, he gave a sharp whistle with his fingers.

"All right, children why don't we give your brother some air, hhmm?"

The children dispersed, but still stayed close to each other, cheeks wet with happy tears. Liesl was the first to ask teh obvious question.

"How did you manage all of this, father?" Her siblings nodded in agreement, wanting to know how it had all happened.

Georg led his family into the living room where they all sat by the fire as he told them the story of how he came to find out where Maria and Kurt were. All nine of the Von Trapps were scattered around the living room. Sitting together on the couches and arm chairs, nestled closely. Maria and Georg were snuggled together in one of the oversized leather armchairs.

The nine of them sat that way well into the afternoon. They laughed, cried, and were even frightened by some of the stories Maria and Kurt told. However, Maria kept the part about her miscarriage private. She didn't want to break that news just yet. She wanted to tell Georg about it in private first. There was a comfortable silence in their conversation when they all heard the clock chime six.

"Oh my we need to get the rest of dinner finished! Come on girls let's get going." Liesl stood, ushering her sisters out to the kitchen. Freidrich and Kurt stood to follow them.

"What the heck, the boys will help out too." Freidrich smiled and slung his arm around his younger brother and they followed the girls, leaving their parents alone by the fire.

Georg's hand was around Maria's shoulders and he was gently caressing her cheek. Maria had her eyes closed, relishing the closeness of her husband. She turned and and looked up at him.

"We're truly blessed." And then with more conviction than she had ever spoke she added, "Oh how I've missed you." She stirred so she was almost laying on top of him as he reclined in the chair. Her hands came up to his face and brought him to her. Georg wrapped his arms around his wife's back and kissed her back. Their hands roaming around, reacquainting themselves with the other's body. Their tongues danced together in a hungry motion. Maria's hands fell down to Georg's side and found their way under his suit jacket, startling him.

"Maria," he murmured into her neck. "The children are just in the next room."

"I don't care," Maria panted back in response as her lips nibbled on his ears.

Georg's eyes rolled back into his head at the sensation. The shrill sound of a pan being dropped startled them both and caused them to stop momentarily.

Maria drew back a bit and gazed into Georg's eyes, twirling her fingers in his hair. Georg smiled at her and brought her to rest on his chest. They sat like that until they were called for dinner - which was delicious. The collective cooking skills of the Von Trapp girls was sensational. Together, the five of them had come up a fantastic meal of rack of lamb with roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, homemade bread, and a mouth watering gravy sauce to go all of it.

They feasted until they could eat no more. And by the time they all cleaned up and bid good night to their parents it was almost eleven o'clock. Georg led Maria up the stairs to the second floor where the children's bedrooms and common areas where. They took a right at the top of the staircase and went all the way down the hall to another set of stairs leading them up to their third floor loft bedroom. Georg closed the door and fastened its lock in place as Maria did some more exploring.

A magnificent four poster bed was against the far wall, luxurious bathroom to its left. On the left wall was a modest walk-in closet and on her right was a picture window gazing out to the rolling snowy hills with a plush window seat beneath it. On either side of the window were two sets of bookshelves, clad with miscellaneous volumes and photographs of the family.

Maria turned around to her husband who was observing her again.

"This is perfect."

Georg strolled over to her and grinned seductively.

"Welcome home, fraulein." His mouth devoured hers. He backed her up to the wall and pressed his body against hers. Maria gasped at the sudden movement, but welcome his touches. Georg's hands roamed all over her body, gripping at her dress. Maria's hands, likewise, were doing some exploring of their own. She had already made her way under his jacket again and had discarded it on the floor. Georg grabbed at his tie and yanked it off. Maria took it as an opportunity to further undress him and ripped off his shirt and undershirt, leaving him standing before her with a bare chest.

She left a trail of sweet kisses all along his collar bone and walked around to leave more on his back and shoulder blades. Georg exhaled slowly, his heart pounding. He couldn't take it anymore and grabbed Maria and pushed her to the wall once more. His desire growing by the second and Maria's breath growing heavy too. Georg kicked off his shoes and ripped off his socks. He moved to unzip Maria's dress and she turned around and stepped out of her clothes, standing in her slip and shoes.

Georg bent down and sensually took his wife's shoes and stockings off, glancing up every so often to see Maria panting with want. He stood back up and Maria's hands went to his pants, undoing his belt and zipper in one fluid motion, sending his trousers to the ground. Georg stepped out of them, only in his boxers, tented with his need for his wife.

Maria's eyes widened at the sight and placed her hands delicately at his waistband. Georg's hands ran up and down Maria's sides, sending chills to her spine. Their lips locked again. Maria's finding their way to Georg's neck, nuzzling him just below his jaw.

Finally, she could take it no longer and threw off his boxers, leaving him completely naked and vulnerable in front of his wife. Maria boldly took him in her hands and massaged him. Slow at first, but increasing speed as she moved more confidently. Not wanting to release in her hands, Georg picked Maria up and walked over to the bed.

Her legs wrapping around his middle, feeling his erection pounding into her. Georg laid her on the bed and took her slip off. He crawled on top of her and held her hands above her head on the pillows. He looked into her eyes, full of desire and kissed her with all his might.

Maria broke the kiss and her hands were at his backside once more. Georg seized the opportunity and discarded his wife's bra and underwear, throwing them across the room which caused Maria to giggle slightly. But seeing the desire on Georg's face, her expression turned serious and gave her husband a slight nod.

He took it as an invitation and spread Maria's legs open wide for him. He angled himself properly and entered Maria, slowly at first. She closed her eyes and sighed at the contact she had been missing for so many years. The corners of Georg's mouth turned upright slightly seeing Maria's reaction to his touch.

He was in her completely and they glided into a smooth rhythm. Georg brought his hands to the back of Maria's knees to allow him to penetrate deeply. Maria's hands went to Georgs head, hear fingers kneading into his scalp. They rocked together, sweat dripping down their backs, whimpering together in pleasure.

At last, they could hold their passion in no longer, Maria came first, shouting Georg's name. He followed soon after, releasing his passion by crying out his wife's name. He collapsed onto Maria, his head cradled on her breasts. He kissed them and wrapped his arms around his wife. Maria tightened her grip on Georg and stroked his hair lovingly. The fell asleep like that only to awaken hours later, teeth chattering from falling asleep on the covers.

Georg tried to move Maria without waking her, but was unsuccessful. She opened her eyes as he was stirring and pulled him to her. Georg sat up as Maria kissed him deeply. He wrapped her legs around him as they sat at the head of the bed, his back pressed to the wall. They kissed and made love in the middle of the night. After their second session of passionate love making, they slid down under the sheets, falling back to their slumber with Maria in Georg's arms.

* Have to admit I was skeptical of this chapter because I'd never written anything with sex or passion like that. Hope I did it justice and you're all in love with how Maria and Georg celebrated their reunion =) Probably only a few more chapters remaining at most. Feel like the story is coming to an end and don't want to drag it on. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? The hit the REVIEW button to make me happy! *


	34. Family

***So I apologize for not forewarning you all of the explicit scenes from last chapter. There is another brief part of this chapter too, so if any of you feel strongly against sex, please skim past it.***

Sun peaked through the half drawn curtains above the picture window in the master bedroom. The two sleeping figures in the master bed were snoring soundly in unison. Georg rolled over and unintentionally took most of the covers with him, uncovering his wife's bare body. His breath caught in his throat at the majestic sight of his Maria. He lightly traced the curves of her body with his right hand as he propped himself up on his pillow with his left arm. When he got to her backside he felt his wife stirring. He turned his gaze to Maria's face and saw that he had been caught. She had been watching him the entire time.

"Good morning, baroness." Georg leaned in and kissed Maria sweetly on the lips.

Maria closed her eyes and smiled at her husband's touch. She blinked them open as Georg rested his head in his left hand on the pillow. It was his turn to smile and Maria chuckled at his sudden scrutiny.

"Something got you captivated, captain?"

"Mmm...you. Come here." Georg extended his free arm and Maria slid into her husband's arms. Her breasts barely grazing Georg's toned chest. Maria laid her head on his chest and Georg wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife. He then brought the covers up around their waists to generate some warmth.

They sat that way for a good while. Not moving, but just needing to be close to one another. Georg ran his fingers through Maria's hair casually, planting a loving kiss on her head every so often. Maria tightened her grip on her husband, her arms encasing his neck.

"You know, Maria, we're going to have to get up eventually. The children will think I'm holding you captive." He smiled into his wife's hair.

Maria smiled into his neck and sat up, Georg's arms still around her.

"Then that is absolutely fine with me, my dear." She bent at the neck over him and kissed him passionately on the lips. When they broke apart her face had gone completely serious.

"I have to tell you something...something horrible that happened." She ran her hands over his face.

Georg sat up, so that they were both sitting with their legs crossed facing each other. He took her hands in his, face full of concern.

"What is it?" He was nervous at what her response could be.

Maria drew in a deep breath and exhaled it, suddenly afraid to look her husband in the eyes. Georg took one of his hands and brought Maria's chin up so she was facing him again, but tears were in her eyes. Georg moved to say something, but Maria held her hands up so she could speak.

"It happened right after Kurt and I were separated from all of you. We were staying with a very nice couple in Switzerland that first winter and...and it was just so awful."

She stopped to catch her breath and gazed at her husband. Georg was looking on in sheer anticipation. Maria continued.

"I had a miscarriage." She said barely audible, but Georg was able to make it out. By now Maria's cheeks were wet from her tears. Georg drew her near and they were in each other's arms again. He caressed her back and soothed her, wishing away all her pain. He allowed her to regain her composure and finally pushed her back slightly so she was sitting up again.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

"I didn't want to in front of everybody. And it felt so nice being in your arms again, I didn't want to spoil the moment...I was so afraid at how you'd react...are you angry?"

Her eyes bore into his, but they showed no signs of anger. Georg held Maria's face up with his hands.

"How could you even think such a thing? Of course I'm not mad with you. It's not like you did anything for this to happen. These things happen-Agathe had one you know."

Maria snapped her attention to him.

"She did?"

Georg nodded. "Yes, in between Brigitta and Marta."

She didn't know why, but somehow that put Maria at ease somewhat.

"Maria, after it happened, did the doctor who examined you, did he say...did he say if you'd be able to have any more children?"

Maria gave Georg a pensive look before responding.

"You know, I didn't ask him. Neither Kurt nor I thought of that."

"Well with any luck, maybe we gave fate a little nudge in the right direction after last night." Georg smiled wickedly at his wife, whoo blushed a bit at his comment. Her eyes scanned the room and noticed how their clothes were strewn all over in random spots.

"All right, well I need to dig through my bags for something decent to put on to wear downstairs." Maria stood up and walked over to the far side of the bed, leaving Georg sitting in the middle watching her every move. Still completely naked, Maria bent down in front of her bags next to the closet door and began to rummage through them. When she found another slip and her bathrobe she stood up with her back to Georg and smoothed them out.

Seeing Maria standing there caused Georg to get excited. Quietly he crept up behind her and started massaging her breasts lightly. Maria froze at first, but slowly let her guard down and soon her clothes were back in a heap on the floor. She closed her eyes and began to moan at the sensation working its way through her body. She reached around and grabbed Georg in her hands.

Georg spun Maria around and locked his mouth onto hers. Maria pressed her body into his and her hands went to lock around his neck. Her thumbs lightly stroked his collar bone and soon her lips were there, too. She sucked his skin and kissed him all the way down his stomach. Georg could take it no longer and stooped down to his wife's level so that they were both kneeling. He put one hand on the floor to brace them both as he lowered Maria to the floor with him on top of her. They lay together on the floorboards in front of the closet.

Maria called for him, but Georg tempted her with butterfly kisses all the way down from her neck to her inner thighs. Maria reached down and grabbed him by the shoulders and slid him up her throbbing body. Georg smiled at his wife's aggressiveness and found her lips. Maria spread and pushed Georg into her, groaning at the feeling of them being joined again. Georg grinded into her until they both released all the passion they had. After they came, Georg laid there on top of her with his head on her stomach. Maria rubbed his scalp with her hands and Georg's hands gently rubbed her sides.

Georg lifted his head off of his wife's stomach and looked at her seriously.

"_Now_ you may get dressed, Maria."

-SOM-

Liesl and Gretl were at the stove in the kitchen, flipping the pancakes and occasionally moving the scrambled eggs around in the massive skillet on the stovetop. Louisa was pouring coffee while Marta and Brigitta set out juice and toast. As they placed the last slice of bread on the table, Maria entered the kitchen through the swinging door wearing a grin from ear to ear.

"Good morning girls!" She said cheerfully and Brigitta rushed into her arms, followed by the other four.

"Morning, mother," they all chorused back in unison.

"Did you sleep well, mother?" Louisa asked as everyone made their way over to the table.

"Yes, Louisa it was the best night's sleep I've had in years. I didn't have to listen to Kurt snoring into my ears the whole night." Maria joked, making all five of her daughters laugh.

"Why, mother, does father not snore?" Liesl asked wickedly from the stove.

"Your father doesn't snore, no, and he's a much better cuddler than your brother." Maria winked back at her eldest.

"Come sit with us, we're just about done." Marta lead Maria over to one of the chairs against the window and sat down next to her. Gretl brought over the tray of scrambled eggs and sat on the opposite side of her mother. Maria wrapped her arms around her two youngest and gave them each a tender kiss on the tops of their heads. Louisa sat down a the head of table next to Gretl and Brigitta took the seat on the other side of Marta.

"Where is father anyway?" Liesl asked as she scooped the last of the pancakes onto a platter and came to join them.

"He had to make a quick telephone call in his office, which I must have walked by completely yesterday when we came in."

"It's on the right when you immediately come into the house," Marta said, taking a sip of orange juice.

Liesl sat down at the far head of the table next to Brigitta.

"Gitta, why don't you call the boys in." she said as she helped herself to some coffee.

"Yes, where are your brothers? Does Kurt know there's food out?" Maria asked, head craning to look around the kitchen.

"They've been walking around the porch talking for a while now." Louisa said, glancing past her mothers and sisters to look out the window for Freidrich and Kurt.

"Really? For how long?" Maria said, catching on and turning around to look out as well.

"Well they went outside about an hour ago and we've counted that they did forty-one laps so far," Brigitta said as she tapped on the window as her brothers made another pass by.

Freidrich and Kurt looked up from their conversation as their sister signaled for them to come back inside. They nodded in response as they disappeared out of sight.

"Well that makes me happy the two of them picking right up where they left off," Maria said turning back around, arms finding Marta and Gretl again.

"Yes, it'll do Freidrich some good to have Kurt back. He's been terribly depressed and quiet." Liesl said as she stood up to retrieve bacon from the oven.

Maria merely nodded at her daughter's observation.

"What about you, mother? Are you happy to be back? Father said last night you had made friends in New Hampshire where you were staying." Gretl looked up at her mother.

"Oh well Kurt and I will certainly miss our friends there, Elli and her daughter Claire and Claire's daughter Susan, and the priest of their church, Father Fitzpatrick...but nothing could ever replace being right here with all five of you."

"And father!" Marta piped in.

"And your father, of course," Maria said, smiling at her daughters.

"So you both traveled to a lot of places then?" Brigitta asked from her seat.

"Well we were in Austria for a very short time after we, well after we all got split up. From there we trekked through Switzerland to France where we took a ship to New York. And from there we made it to New Hampshire and of course now home to you all."

"Were you ever scared?" Louisa asked as she wrapped her knees up to her chest at her chair.

Maria's expression altered drastically.

"I'd never been more frightened of anything in my entire life." The serious tone caused Louisa to shiver, she had never known her mother to be afraid of anything before.

"If it hadn't been for your brother, I don't know how I'd have ever made it here safely."

"Kurt? Really?" Marta asked incredulously.

"Yup. He had to grow up pretty quickly, unfortunately. And he was always there if anything happened."

"Like when you almost drowned?"

"Or when you were almost homeless in New York."

"You got it," Maria said looking from Brigitta back to Louisa.

"I think he was ready for all of that." Everyone looked to Liesl who was still taking the cackling bacon from its hot sheet.

"What makes you say that, Liesl?"

"Well it all makes sense doesn't it? After our mother died and everything changed, Kurt always wanted to be grown up like Freidrich and father. It's no wonder he was so eager and so able to help you through so much." She finished and carried the bacon over to gaze at her mother and sisters.

"Well spoken, Liesl." Maria gave her a genuine smile, which Liesl gratefully returned.

The door swung open to reveal Kurt and Freidrich walking in conversing with each other with their father right behind them.

"Good morning ladies!"

"Good morning, father!" Gretl squealed with delight as her father took a seat directly across from Maria. Freidrich sat down on Georg's left, but Kurt circled the table, planting a big kiss on each of his sister's foreheads. He couldn't reach his mother, who was still nestled between Marta and Gretl, so he settled for blowing her a kiss across the table as he took his seat in between his father and Louisa.

"Maria, would you do the honor of saying grace for us once more?"

"Of course, Georg." She smiled at her husband and brought her hands clasped in prayer to her lap, the entire family following suit.

"For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen."

"Amen." Was the reply said in unison by the other eight Von Trapps.

"Girls, this looks absolutely delicious," Freidrich said as he poured himself coffee and juice.

"Why thank you, Freidrich." Marta said as she stabbed some pancakes onto her plate. Georg sat with his arms crossed on the table, taking in the sight of the entire family at the table once more. He was on cloud nine and he couldn't believe that the three years they all had spent in turmoil had actually happened.

When everybody had food on their plate and all the glasses and mugs were full, Liesl raised her juice and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to propose a toast."

Everyone mimicked her and grabbed what they were drinking.

"To mother and Kurt, who are now finally home where they belong. And to the man who brought them back to us...to our family. Cheers!"

Nine glasses clanged together as everyone knocked glasses around the table.

Just like dinner, they feasted until not a drop of food was left on their plates. The Von Trapps were all sitting back in their chairs, stomachs full of delicious food.

"Now THAT was a good breakfast." Kurt exhaled and closed his eyes, relishing in the joy of his first meal back with his family.

"Glad you enjoyed it," Louisa said as she playfully jabbed at her little brother's expanding belly.

"Hey cut that out! Do you want me to throw up all over you?" Kurt retorted and reached over to tickle his sister, who howled with laughter. When they had calmed down, Louisa reached over and took Kurt's hand in hers.

"I missed you." She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.

Kurt smiled whole heartedly back, "Me too. I'm glad to be home."

Maria's heart melted at her children's affection. She could only remember days where Louisa and Kurt would be at each other's throats, and now they were openly showing love.

Georg draped his right arm over Kurt as Kurt settled back in his chair and his left one went over Freidrich, mirroring Maria's position with the girls.

"So family, what should we do today? Hhmm?" He looked to each of his children.

"Let's play outside in the snow!"

"Yeah!" Marta got excited at Brigitta's suggestion.

"Well we could do that, but I was thinking of taking your mother and Kurt into town for some shopping. I'm thinking they're going to need some new clothes." He looked down at his youngest son. "You especially since you'll be starting school here next week."

"Really, father, shopping seems awfully boring." Freidrich said, allowing his head to rest on his father's shoulder.

"Well I was thinking that while Kurt, Maria, and I are in the stores, you six could be milling about town. Say, gathering food from the market for the week, maybe making a stop at the bakery for something sweet for later this evening."

"Oh Georg how can you be thinking of food after the meal we just had!" Maria exclaimed, not even opening her eyes, still resting with her head on the chair back.

"Hhm...perhaps you are my child after all." He said jokingly as Kurt looked up at him, causing the entire family to giggle.

"Do you think I could go into the hardware store to see about the supplies for the piano, father?"

"I think that's a fantastic idea, Freidrich. Yes, you may do that."

"Why what's wrong with the piano?" Kurt ask, looking down the table at his brother.

"The wood on two of the bench legs split last month when we got the Christmas tree. Somebody thought it was a good idea to use the bench to stand on while we decorated it and put the angel on top." Freidrich didn't say who it was, but immediately six pairs of eyes rested on Georg who grinned sheepishly at his son and wife.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Maria rolled her eyes at her husband and sat up.

"Well it sounds like we have the rest of the afternoon planned, so why don't we start cleaning up? I'm going to pick at all the delicious bacon crumbs if I sit here any longer." She moved to start clearing away plates when Gretl put her hand on hers.

"We have this, you and father go rest."

"No, really darling. I didn't help with anything."

"Maria," Georg started. "Why don't you listen to your daughter and come sit with me while we digest?" He extended his hand over the table, which Maria gladly took and walked around to her husband, giving Kurt a real kiss on the way.

"All right, but I WILL be helping with dinner tonight and with the meals from now on."

"That's fine, we'll hold you to that, mother." Brigitta said as she placed a stack of dishes in the sink.

"Children, why don't we plan on leaving here in one hour? That should give everyone plenty of time to relax and get changed before we head out."

"All right, father. Come one everyone, lets get cleaned up so we can go chat." Liesl ushered her siblings to clear the table.

Maria and Georg ducked out of the kitchen as all seven of the children joked around with each and headed for Georg's study.

It was just as Marta had said, right next to the front door. Georg closed the door behind them as Maria stretched out on the sofa in his office. He sat down beside her and took her feet in his hands, kneading the bottoms with his strong hands.

Maria moaned in pleasure as her husband rubbed her feet.

"Oh how I've missed those hands of yours," she said with her arms crossed lightly on her chest, eyes slightly closed.

"Not to worry, love, you'll be seeing and feeling a lot of them to catch up on all the time we lost."

"Somehow I think that seems appropriate." Maria opened her eyes all the way and smiled lovingly at Georg.

"I'm glad the children are all okay. I was worried they'd all be different and awkward after Kurt and I came back."

Georg stopped rubbing Maria's feet and tugged at her hands, bringing her to a sitting position next to him.

"How could you possibly imagine a thing like that?"

"I don't know, I just figured after everything you all must have gone through that things would be completely off. Kurt and I each went through periods where we didn't talk to each other at all or hated the world for stretches of time...but it felt perfect just now with all of us together again. I don't want to leave any of you ever again."

She leaned in and kissed Georg, who reclined back to prop his feet up on the coffee table. Maria nestled into the nook of his arm and sighed contently.

"You know, baroness, I'm glad too. Do you know how long it's been since I heard that beautiful voice of yours? What do you say to a few songs later tonight by the fire? I'll see if I can manage a few verses of Eldleweiss for you for old times sake."

"Sounds heavenly. Promise?"

"For you? I guarantee it. Not to worry darling, I'm not going anywhere and I'm be damned if I let you out of my sight every again."

Maria smiled into his robe as she snuggled there beside him on the couch. And that's where they stayed until Georg forced them upstairs to change for their outing with the children...an outing as an entire family.

* Only one more chapter to go to tie everything together. Get your reviews in! They've been great and no need for them to stop! =) *


	35. The End

Stowe, Vermont was a beautiful town - especially with all the winter scenery. Snow covering everything in sight made the town twinkle as the sunlight hit upon it.

Georg had spoiled his wife and youngest son to bits. In the store he had insisted they buy everything they tried on and modeled for him. Kurt patiently sat as his mother shopped and tried her clothing on first. He and his father sat on a bench near the dressing room as Maria came out with a new article on every few minutes or so, giving her a thumbs up and playful whistle with each new outift. When it was his finally Kurt's turn, he came out the first time to see his parents nestled on the couch, waiting for him to model a new suit. When the others finished their shopping in town, six more Von Trapps crowded the small dressing room to give their opinions. Finally, life was good.

-SOM-

Saturday afternoon and Maria laid out on the massive leather couch in the living room of the Von Trapp household. Georg was in his office tidying up a few things and the children were all upstairs, so Maria had the entire room to herself. She inhaled the sweet smell of the fire in front of her and took another light sip of her tea. As she placed the cup and saucer back on the coffee table, Kurt came strolling into the room, hands in his pockets looking a bit bored.

"Hey there." He plopped down next to his mother.

"Hi. Why aren't you upstairs with your brother and sisters?"

"Well Liesl is sorting through her things to pack up for when she heads back to school tomorrow and all the others are scrambling to finish homework assignments they've graciously put off until now due to all the excitement of you and I being home."

He turned to Maria and leaned his head back on the couch.

"Do I really have to go back to school on Monday?" He made a sad, puppy dog face, which made Maria laugh.

"Somehow I think it would be a problem if everybody else went and you stayed home."

"You know I thought of that, but I'm sure I could find something to keep me busy around here."

"Kurt, you're going to school. It's bad enough you've missed so much while we were traveling. And you're extremely lucky you're not behind for you age after the placement tests you took in New Hampshire over the summer."

Kurt merely nodded back in agreement and closed his eyes gently.

"I know, it just feels weird settling back into a routine like this you know?"

He opened his eyes and looked his mother in the eyes.

"It's like nothing ever happened. We're back to being a family and none of what we went through matters."

"It does matter, darling, but life goes on - moves forward. Just think of the adventures we'll have here in Vermont."

Maria gave him a peck on the top of his head as he leaned into his mother's embrace. They both sat there, gazing into the fire.

"It's just...well..."

"What?" Maria looked quizzically at her son.

"I suppose it's just going to take some getting used to having to share you that's all. I've been so spoiled it being just us for so long."

He smiled weakly at Maria, who reciprocated the emotion.

"I know exactly how you feel."

"Really you do?"

Maria nodded in response.

"Of course. As much fun as it is being with all seven of you, it was thoroughly exhausting keeping up with seven highly active children running around Salzburg back home. Not to sound like a terrible mother, but it was nice to be moving at a single pace with you for the time we had it, albeit a fast paced one moving constantly."

"That doesn't sound terrible to me at all. I will miss the closeness between us, the journeys we had to face together."

Maria sat up a bit and held Kurt's hands in hers.

"And I wouldn't trade any of those for the world." She reached up and held his face with her right hand.

"I owe you so much and am so grateful we went through everything together and I'll never forget a moment of it." Maria smiled and Kurt gave her a tight hug.

"Me too, despite all the bad, there was some good too. I'm glad to have things back to normal now I suppose. Feels good having a place to call home with father and everyone else."

The two settled back in on the couch, the rest of the house still quiet from all the studying going on upstairs. Georg walked into the living room to find his wife and son snuggling on the couch. He walked around the sofa and smiled down on them.

"Room for one more have you?"

Maria extended her free arm and her husband sank down beside her.

"Now this is what I call a perfect afternoon. Two of my favorite people on either side of me."

Kurt and Georg looked past Maria at each other.

"You know, Kurt, your mother's a lucky woman to have had you with her through the past three years. I'm eternally grateful to you for keeping her safe."

Kurt swelled with pride at his father's compliment. This is what he had been missing out on for the time they were separated. He took his father's comment with the highest regard.

"Thank you, sir. I just did what I knew you would have done. We just wanted to make it safely back to you and the others."

"Well you certainly succeeded...and Maria told me about the miscarriage this week, too."

Kurt's gaze shifted from his father to his mother. Maria nodded at him.

"It's okay. I told him everything...how strong you were...how brave you were...how you nurtured me and were at my side through the entire ordeal."

"I think that was the most terrifying moment of my entire life. I knew I wouldn't have been able to deal with losing two mothers in one lifetime so I knew I had to make sure she was all right, for everybody's sake."

"I know I speak for your mother and siblings when I say thank you for that, as well."

"No need, really. I know everyone would have done the same in my place. I'm the one who should really be thanking you. You had to look after six others besides yourself, I had it easy compared to you." A smile tugging at the corners of Kurt's mouth.

"Flattery will not get you out of accepting my gratitude, young man," Georg replied, a smile no on his lips as well.

In unison, the trio laid their heads back on the couch and propped up their feet on the table. Maria's hands were at her lap with Kurt and Georg clasping theirs around one of hers.

"I promise," Georg began. "To keep you both, as well as the entire family, safe for as long as I possibly can. I'll do anything to make sure we're never apart again."

"I think I like the sound of that, captain." Maria nestled her head onto her husband's shoulder, causing Kurt to do the same to her.

"Same goes for me." And Kurt stifled a yawn as they all snuggled in closer.

"After all, after everywhere we've journeyed thus far, it's high time we were able to settle down, in our home, with our _entire_ family."

"You know, Maria, I couldn't agree with you more. What do you think, Kurt?"

But Kurt had already drifted off to sleep on his mother's shoulder as Maria and Georg glanced down at their son.

Seizing the opportunity, Maria and Georg stole a few quick kisses before closing their eyes for a slight slumber themselves.

Yes, life had thrown the Von Trapp family enough torment and hardship to last many lifetimes. They were content the way things were going, after all, it was a brand new year; a fresh start. From now on they would face any journey together, as an entire family.

* Well that's it! A HUGE thank you to all my faithful readers who supported this story from the very beginning. I obviously couldn't have made it this far without all your helpful comments and reviews =) I truly appreciate everything from everybody who commented along the way. Thank you, thank you, thank you! *


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